Memoirs Of The Heroes
by Richard B. Sampson Jr
Summary: Following the quest in Final Fantasy Legend 2, four people learn there place in the history of existance, and begin an epic journey.
1. Summary

Memoirs of the Heroes. 

This story originally began as a simple walk through, but had exploded into so much more. It had it's origins back in 1996, however the game that inspired the original walkthrough hit American markets in 1990. As time progress, and my writing skills got better, the story took better shape. The only thing that was certain as I was writing the series was how it would end. I had thought up an ending that would make the reader think. 

What I have provided for you here is a summary of the chapters, and who's point of view it is. Read and enjoy, as well as review. I hope to hear from you. 

Richard.****

**1)Memoirs of an Adventures Child** Following the quest in Final Fantasy Legend 2, four people learn there place in the history of existance, and begin an epic journey. Told from Rich's point of view****

**2)The Legend Of The Haniwa** Eleven years after the events in Final Fantasy Legend 2, one of the heroes learns the truth about one of the toughest creature they had to fight. First part of the Haniwa story arc. Told from Rich's point of View****

**3)The First Meeting** As time has passed, one of the heroes tells their children about an evil manipulator known only as St. Marius. Second Story of the Haniwa story arc. Told from Vet's point of View****

**4)The Ancients' Mistake** After learning that St. Marius was still alive, the heroes embark on a mission to destroy his evil for all times, but learn he may have a few tricks up his sleeves. Third story in the Haniwa Arc. Told from Radr's point of view.****

**5)Faces Of The Past** As they heroes go to face St. Marius on his home turf, they lose one of thier own, and must face people from their past in order to succeed. Fourth story in the Haniwa story arc. Told from Radr's point of view.****

**6)Reward For Pain** Now all captured by St. Marius, the heroes must struggle to break free of St. Marius evil and destroy the monster. The final story in the Haniwa arc. Told from Rich's point of view.****

**7)Deadly Desire** In a stand alone story, the sister of one of the gods in Final Fantasy Legend 2 takes vengence on everyone in the world by transforming all the women into succubi. Now, it is up to what is left of the heroes that are uneffected to destroy the evil that is now in their world. Told from Skiz's point of view.****

**8)Flawed Faith** The Route of Rigge was born of evil, and has infiltrated many levels of power. They seek the return of their savior, St. Marius, and two of the heroes have to deal with the Route very close to home. First of three stories in the Route of Rigge story arc Told from Skiz's point of view.****

**9)Fatal Journey** Vet, one of the heroes from Final Fantasy Legend 2, takes her children to see the same places she went to years before, but she is afraid one of them will kill her. Will she die? Story two of the Route of Rigge Arc. Told from Vet's point of view.****

**10)Dark Angel** Following the events of Fatal Journey, Rich and his family discover the Route of Rigge and how deep it goes. Now, can they survive the evil that lurks under the guise of religion. Story 3 of the Route Of Rigge Arc Told form Rich's point of view****

**11)Renewal** Vet's daughter has taken a new guise to help combat evil, but it accidentally leads to her mother's capture. Story 1 in the restoration cycle. Told from JaNa's point of view.****

**12)Writen In Stone** Isis and company travel to the wisest being in existance, and he tells them the path of their quest, and the eventual end result. Part 2 of the restoration cycle. Told from Lena's point of view.=****

**13)Ill Wind** As the team ventures into the Air world, they must battle the Air Fiend in order to rescue the first component. Third story in the restoration cycle. Told from Isis' point of view.****

**14)Facing Fears** The team ventures down to the realm of the dead to retrieve the second component. On the way, that must face what fears are made off, and JaNa must face her worse fear. Fourth story of the restoration cycle. Told from JaNa's point of view.****

**15)Eternal Eye** The terrible truth of the eye is revealed and one of the team member is cursed to be the only one who can carry it. Fifth in the restoration cycle. Told from Max's point of view.****

**16)Earth Shaking News** Some facts become know to the team, and they enter the earth realm to fight Gen-Bu and reclaim the Earth component. Sixth story in the restoration cycle. Told from Li's point of view.****

**17)Ouroboros** Max learns the truth of the part he plays in the past and the present. Seventh story of the restoration cycle. Told from Max's point of view.****

**18)Father's Fury** After seeing his son disappear, Rich must repress his rage and defeat the evil Magic to save Vet's Magic Component. Eighth story in the restoration cycle. Told from Rich's point of view.****

**19)Sinking Feeling** When the team ventures into the Water world, they struggle to destroy Sei-Ryu and rescue the Water Component. Even worse is that one of the members sinks into the realm of demons. Ninth story in the restoration cycle. Told from Jana's point of view****

**20)Lena of 7** Lena, while on the quest to save the Mind Component, is capture and almost turned into a Crystoid, who merge magic, metal, and flesh. Can she survive, and help rescue Vet's Mind Component. Tenth story in the restoration saga. Told from Lena's point of view****

**21)Phoenix** The team enters the Fire World and fights Su-Zaku for Vet's Fire Element. Can they survive this heated battle. Eleventh in the restoration cycle. Told from Li's point of view.****

**22)Restoration** In the final battle with the Route and St. Marius, will Vet be restored to her real self. The 12th and final story of the restoration cycle. Told from JaNa's point of view.****

**23)Misjustice** Vet is found guilty of crimes trumped up by a mysterious group. Who are they, and what is their hidden agenda. Story one of the return of Sepheroth. Told from Vet's point of View.****

**24)Awakening** Rich goes on an expidition only to discover he has lead the mysterious group to the grave site of their leader, Sepheroth. Story two of the return of Sepheroth. Told from Rich's point of view.****

**25)Light And Dark** Mask learns of Sepheroth's return and witnesses his fathers death. Now he must safe guard two items. Story three of the return of Sepheroth. Told from Max's point of view.****

**26)Voices** Lena finds a place to hide the gems, but now she must keep her wits about her. Story four of the return of Sepheroth. Told from Lena's point of view.****

**27)Dark Defender** Isis witnesses the defeat of Sepheroth and his followers and the hands of a darker evil force. Fifth and final story in the return of Sepheroth. Told from Isis' point of view.****

**28)Ten Of Cups** Lena does an unthinkable act as she kills Isis. Her actions are just the beginning of the Dawn of Darkness. Story one of the Death Of Isis. Told from Lena's point of view.****

**29)An Immortal's Rest** Mask attends the funeral of Isis, and finds out that his sister is lost to the Crystoids. Now he must form a group to quickly find Vet before it is too late. Story two of the Death Of Isis. Told from Max's point of view.****

**30)Mysterious Findings** As Vet is about to be rescued, she stumbles on to a terrible vision of the future, and a hideous secret of the nasty dungeon. Story three of the death of isis. Told from Vet's point of view.****

**31)Last Child** As JaNa's child is born, they all learn of the frightening news about upcoming events. And can they all survive what is to come. The last story in the death of isis saga. Told from JaNa's point of view. 

**32)Riders From The Storm** About sixteen years have passed, and the four most fearsome creatures have arrived. How will the world cope, and can they defeat these new foes in time. Story one of the Dawn of Darkness. Told from Hope's point of view.****

**33)Fear Factor** After an attack on the guardian base, Vet discovers a possible weakness in one of the new foes. Now can she survive to reveal what she knows. Story two of the Dawn of Darkness Told from Vet's point of view.****

**34)Darkness Begins To Fall** Radr contacts the wisest being in existance, only to find out that he is about to take measures to seal off there universe. Can the being give them info to help them, or are they doomed. Story three of the Dawn of Darkness. Told from Radr's point of view. 

**35)Tomes Of Forbidden Magic** While searching for a way to destroy the horseman known as Famine, Hope discovers and old tome. The magic with in is forbidden, but will it save them. Story four of the Dawn of Darkness. Told from Hope's point of view.****

**36)Killer Cure** In a process to help Hope control her new powers, Vet and Hope run across the Horseman known as Plague. Can they defeat him without Hope using her forbidden powers. Story five of the Dawn of Darkness. Told from Vet's point of view.****

**37)Sibling Rivalry** Just as Max finds out how to stop the Horsemen, he is captured by the Crystoids. Now his only hope to survive is that of his sister Lena, who is now one of the Crystoids. Story six of the Dawn of Darkness. Told from Max's point of view.****

**38)Call For Peace** Now that the Guardians have information on how to defeat the Crystoids, they go on the offensive. But, will this lead to the end of War, or the end of one of their own. Story seven of the Dawn of Darkness. Told from Li's point of view.****

**39)Vie Mort, Mort Vie** The final conflict happens and the Guardians fight Death and the Crystoids. But, are they fighting a battle they can win, or a battle they have already lost? Story eight of the Dawn of Darkness. Told from Max's point of view.****

**40)Yesterday's Gone** In the disaster of the final battle, Lena makes a choice that will save everyone, but the cost is everything in the world. Story nine of the Dawn of Darkness. Told from Lena's point of view.****

**Epilogue)Every New Beginning** What happened after the Time Bomb went off. The epilogue of this epic. Told from Radr's point of view. 


	2. Memoirs Of an Adventure's Child

Memoirs of an Adventures Child   
(Writen by Richard B. Sampson Jr.) 

Background   
======================================== 

Back in the origins of the universe, it was held together by the Magic of Isis. Isis was a kind and loving goddess that gave her universe peace. However, other god's who ruled other universes envied the peace and calm of her world. In their quest for power, they banned together to enslave Isis and conquer her world. As her world was slowly conquered by the evil god's, she went to the center of her world and activated the protective units to fend off anything not pure of heart.   
When the Arsenal Units refused to leave the center of the world, Isis did the only thing she could do to save what was left of her universe. As the god's moved towards the pillar that lead to her temple, she changed herself to a statue and sealed the pillar that lead to the Celestrial Temple. Afterwords, the statue split into several pieces and went to the various worlds of her lands.   
For the past milennium, the god's have been searching the worlds for the Magi stones. As they continue closer to their goal, the have been thwarted in recent centuries by the Guardian's. The current lead has been most successful in finding the Magi Stones and protecting them. But the chosen 4 will be the only ones who can successfully bring peace to the universe. 

10 Years Ago   
========================================= 

It was in the middle of the night my father woke me up. He told me he had to go. I always thought he was silly for going on his adventures. He told me to keep something and guard it with my life. It looked like a stone to me, but I could sense something about it. He then left through the window, asking me to take care of mom. He didn't return. 

The present   
========================================= 

Today was the day. This morning I was 16 and I decided to go in search of dad. I told my mother and then went to the school. I then went to school and told my teacher, Mr.S, of my plans. He told me about the Magi and that I had one of them. He told me that my father must be protecting them and that the one I had could detect Magi. Then my schoolmates came in. Mr.S, wise as he is, suggested I take three along with me. I choose my three best friends, Vet, a very smart Mutant Female, Radr, a very strange robot, and Skiz, a monster who was always adaptable. Mr.S told us to go to a town north of the tunnel that seperated our valley from the rest of our world. We agreed and said so long to our parents. Just as we were about to leave town, Mr.S. joined us. He said we might need the help at first. I checked the Magi and found there were 6 in our world. We fought our way to the tunnel, with Mr.S curing us. In the tunnel, we worked our way through, openning chests and fighting monsters. When we reached the exit, a BabyWyrm demanded the Magi we had. We fought the BabyWyrm and were successful in defeating him. After we left the cave, Mr. S. staied there to protect the valley from any monsters. We then headed north to the town. In the town, I thought I saw dad. Since it was close to nightfall, we decided to sleep at the Inn. 

We all woke up with a start when we heard Vet scream. We looked around and saw no one. Vet said, "Sorry, I had the same recuring nightmare since I was little".   
We all forgave her and set out to check the town out. I should tell you a bit about Vet. Vet believes in reincarnation, and she believes that this dream is linked to one of her past lives. The first time we found out about this was when Mr.S took the class on an overnight camping trip. Maybe there is something to it. Anyhow, we checked out the Cafe nextdoor to the Inn. We talked to people, got a drink and listened to a tune on the Juke Box. I think the tune was "Save The World!" We then left the Cafe and saw.. Dad!. I was grief stricken to see it wasn't dad. We then checked out the shops to get some stuff. We then headed west to where a shrine was located. Many monsters tried to stop us, but we had to find my father. When we reached the shrine, we approached Ki and she told us about Ashura and where to find Magi. I figured, if father was protecting Magi, we had to find them to find him. Ki even healed us from our battles. She told us where to find the ancient ruins of Isis and we left. We were about to leave when we notice Vet wasn't with us. She then came out, and she looked different. She looked a little confused. She then said, "I asked Ki about my dreams and she said that it was an upsetting life that was haunting me. She said someone in another world could help me understand it better." We then went to the ruins. Monsters tried to stop us from getting there, but we defeated them. Once we entered the ruins, monster attacked us. Before that they seemed to be search for something. Maybe they were part of Ashura's Monsters. We searched the building and found treasure while fending off monsters. Eventually, we got to a large room where a couple of men were taking something. One of them mentioned Magi and they left. We followed them. I was afraid they were enemties of my father. We checked a room only to find they weren't in there, but three Magi were there. We caught up to them as they left. Outside, we found them, near death. They had been attacked by Ashura's men and they were guardians, protectors of the Magi. We returned to Ki's Shrine. When we told Ki of what happened, Ki joined our group and told us about Ashura.   
"Ashura has made his home in the desert world. The first time he attacked our world, he attempted to steal all the Magi here. He did not succeed in getting them all. I stopped him before he had gotten the last few. That was about 500 years ago. Since some of the Magi are with in me, I have stayed young since the evil gods attacked. Ashura would not attack the land again since he has gotten so much power, he would send his minions. Maybe the people in the northern town know where the base is since they guard the path to the Pillar of the Sky."   
We headed for the town. We were attacked on the way, but we easily defeat our opponents. Once we got to town, we head for the Inn to sleep for the night. We paid for our beds and went to sleep. 

We all woke to the familiar screem. Vet's nightmares had come again during the night. Ki was calming her down. Ki turned to me and said, "How long has this been happening."   
"All her life. She says she is remembering a past life, maybe from a different universe. I hope she is Ok. She was my best friend in school."   
"She'll be fine. My friend will help some as best they can. I have contacted them and they will be waiting for you. Now we must move and stop Ashura." We left the Inn and got some items and armor and headed to the base. On our way, we encountered some monsters which tried to stop us. We defeated them and entered the base. When we entered, Radr look up and said, "Uh, Oh."   
Radr always was like this. Sometimes when monsters were about to attack us on camping tricks, Radr looked up and said "Uh, Oh." The last time it happened was a couple of days ago. I heard him say it under his breath when we entered the Tunnel. I turned to him and all he said was "Rhino."   
Ki looked straight ahead and said, "Great, It would have to be Rhino. He is one of the toughest of Ashura's minions. Be ready for a heavy battle. Watch out for the guards. They will attack you." We searched the building until we reached Rhino, grabbing items and fighting off Ashura's monsters all the way. When we reached Rhino, he said we were foolish to come here, especially Ki. Ki and Vet attacked him with a Magic attack while the rest of us attacked him with everything we had. It took some time, keeping people from dying, but we were successful. Before he died, Rhino set the base to blow up. We grabbed the 3 Magi he was guarding and left the base before it exploded. After that the path to the pillar was clear. We entered the pillar and went to the celestrial world, where the temple was located. Ki left us, but she told us where her friend was that could help Vet. We entered the celestrial world and looked around in awe.   
Skiz looked around and said, "If I told this to anyone, they wouldn't believe me."   
"With the stories you have told, Skiz, neither would I." I said. Skiz was a nice guy, but he was always telling tall tales. Vet shuddered and I asked, "What's wrong."   
"It feels like someplace I've been before. It's feels ... eerie."   
We headed for the next pillar and entered Ashura's World. We noticed that nightfall had just hit this world and we ran for the town. In the town, we went to the Inn to rest for the night. We paid for the night and went to sleep. 

This morning was different from most because I woke up screeming. I had dreamt that my father was dying and that I couldn't help him. We all got up and searched the town, getting items and asking people about the world. In the Cafe, we got refreshments and then went to the desert, searching for Ashura's Tower. Before we left town, we discovered that Ashura knew we were here as his minions attacked us. They were unsuccessful in their attack, and we continued, being extra careful of an ambush. As we ventured into the desert, we tried to follow the directions given to us at the Cafe. Monsters tried to stop us, but they were unsuccessful each time. We eventually found the town of Ashura in the south of the world. It took us almost all day to get there, and night was starting to fall. We ran to the Inn and rested for the night. 

We woke up that morning and Vet seemed to be Ok. Apparently, her dreams had not gotten to disturbing yet. We talked to people in Ashura's town and got some items. We found out about a spy who was captured. The description fit dad to the letter. I was afraid that Ashura was going to do something to him. We ran for the tower and went to defeat Ashura. Many monsters tried to stop us. As we entered the tower, Radr looked up and said, "Double Trouble".   
"What's the problem?" I asked.   
"Do you have any termites for a woodman?"   
"I know I have some around here." Skiz said. I gave our joker a look and we started up the tower. I figured that the woodman was guarding my father. On our way up, we opened many treasure chests and fought many monsters. Eventually, we reached the Woodman. We attacked him only to turn him into woodchips. The man we rescued turned out to be someone other than my father. He called himself Mask.   
Radr looked up again and said, "Ashura has two attacks waiting for us. One by him, the other has gone.. someplace."   
"Well, lets stop him and his other troop." We continued up the tower, getting Mask's stuff and climbing up the tower. When we reach Ashura, he told us he sent his minions to kill Ki and get the Magi in her. He then attacked us. We changed our order so that the strongest were in front. We figured that he would focus on the front person and we defeated him. We got 7 more Magi for defeating him and Mask left us. We then went to Ki's side. 

After a couple of days' travel, we reached Ki's temple only to find her on the edge of life. Her helper told us that she was in trouble, and we knew it. Her helper told us to go to the Giant's world and get Micronize. We left, but not before she gave us a Magi. We then traveled to the Giant's World. While were still in our world, monsters tried to stop us from reaching the pillar. We defeated them with ease and headed to the giant's world. When we reached the celestrial world, we went past the entrance to the Desert World and headed to the Giant's World. When we arrived, it was late afternoon. We went to the town and talked to the people there. We got a drink at the Cafe and heard that the fellow named Johnny used to be a giant. We then checked out the shops. We got some items, armor and weapons. We followed a path and ran into...my father. Finally, my search was over, but he told me his job wasn't. He then left after giving us a Magi. I wanted to continue on and stop his quest by doing it myself. We sneaked into the back of the Giant's shop and found out where he got his goods. He mentioned that Johnny knew. We went back to the Cafe and talked to him. He told us how to get in. He also told us how we could climb the steps. After that, we decided to practice before we entered the town. We fought monsters outside the town and then return near late evening. 

We woke up after a night at the Inn and checked our funds. We figured we needed more money to get the items we would need to survive here. We decided to head back outside of town and fight more monsters until we had good enough equipment to enter the giant's town and survive in Ki's body. Stocking up on X-Cure potions helped us and kept us going. About midday, we stopped in town and got the armor and rested at the Inn. We then continued to fight monsters outside of town. We eventually got better weapons and rested for the night. The next day we would search the giant's village. 

We woke up to the familiar sounds of Vet's screams. I started to be concerned. The nightmares must be getting worse. I asked her if she was ok to which she replied, "I hope we find Ki's friend very soon. I don't know how much longer I can keep my sanity. My father always helped keep them at bay."   
We left the small town and went to the giants' town. We did some search and found the tunnel in the stairs. We reached the top of the stairs without incident. Many monsters attacked us in the town, but we defeated them. Eventually, we checked out some of the buildings. We got in the southern most building to find Magi inside. After we got the Magi, we entered a building that was locked until we got the Magi. In it was the Micron. We then left the Giants' Town and made our way to the the town of the humans. It was getting close to nightfall and we decided to sleep at the Inn. It was costly, but tomorrow we had to save Ki. 

We woke up with a different sound. It was Radr. He said loud enough to wake us up, "Ki's body will try to stop us."   
I looked at him. "How do you know this stuff."   
"I don't know. I just do. Jeez, sometimes I wish I was home to help my mom and my uncle."   
I couldn't blame him. I sometimes thought the same thing. We left the Inn and sold some of the stuff we had. We also got some better weapons and some X-Cure potions. We then headed for the pillar of the sky. Monsters tried to stop us, but we fought them off. We traveled through the Celestrial World back to our home world. We stopped at the town near the pillar of sky in our world to get rested for the battle in the body. We rested at the Inn for about an hour, and then ran for the Shrine. When we arrived, we were rushed to Ki so we could use the Micron.   
It was remarkable. We were inside the body of a living thing. Vet turned to me and said, "Lets go down the right side first. Then the left. Something tells me we need to get some Magi before entering the head." We followed her suggestion and went down to the right foot. Monsters and cells of her body fought us and we defeated them. In the right foot, we found the Magi in the little toe. We then entered the Stomach and found the Magi near the top of the stomach. Then in the right hand, we found the Magi in the Pointer Finger. We went to the left foot and found the Magi in the big toe. We then went to the heart to find a Magi in the Upper left chamber. We then went to the left hand and got the Magi in the ring finger. Afterwards, we went to Ki's brain. We avoided battles so we could have an advantage against whatever was guarding the last Magi. Some Phagocyts were guarding the Magi. We used attacks that attacked the group. With this tactic, we survived and got the last Magi. We had saved Ki's life. When we left Ki's body, we told her we were going to the next world past the Giant's world. It took us some time, but we stopped at the town near the Pillar of Sky in our world to sleep for the night. 

It was the same old situation this morning. Vet's screems woke us up. She seemed to be getting worse. Skiz turned to me and said, "She woke me up in the middle of the night. I heard her saying some names that I never heard before."   
"Well, I hope this friend of Ki's is in the next world we hit. We need to calm her down." We got all our stuff together and headed for the Pillar of Sky. Monsters got in our way, but they didn't last to long. It took us some time to cross the celestrial world and reach the world we were heading towards. When we reached the next world, we saw a palace and headed for it. Some monsters slowed our trek, but we stopped them. We entered the palace and met with a Mr. Apollo. He claimed to be a god, but he was not interested in world conquest. He gave us a Magi and told us the location of the Magi in his world. We then left the palace for a town to the north.   
Upon leaving, Vet turned to me and said, "I don't trust him, Rich. He is a god. He would want the Magi too. We must be careful." I agreed with her and we left for a town to the north. Some monsters tried to stop us, but they, like those before them, failed miserably. When we reached the town, we talked with everybody and checked out the shops. We also found out that a girl named Lynn was in the caves. Some guy in the cafe though that Lynn's father and I were related. I was wondering if the man was delirious. It was close to nightfall and we decided to rest until morning until we searched the mountain. 

Vet's screems woke us up again. I hoped that we would find someone who could help her soon. We picked up some weapons in the town, as well as X-Cure potions and went to the cave of Dunatis. As we entered the south cave, Radr said, "Uh Oh, Dunatis is a robot/god."   
Vet said to us, "He's right. Maybe more than one god invaded our universe and now trying to determine who will rule all."   
Skiz spoke up, "Figures, the bigger the ego, the deadlier the enemy. Or something like that."   
I looked at Skiz in amazement. "That actually sounded like the truth. You must me slipping in your thoughts." We checked the cave until we hit a pit. There were stairs on the northside, but not on the south. We did get the item in the chest and left the cave. Monster hanging around the cave area tried to stop us. But we didn't give into them. We entered the cave and went down to fight Dunatis. We grabbed treasures and fought monsters along the way. Eventually, we found Lynn. She was afraid of Dunatis. She said that the robot would not let her out. We noticed that he was guarding the only way out, since the way we came in was a very steep slide. After defeating Dunatis, we took Lynn to her mother. I was surprised to see who Lynn's father looked like. It was my dad. Did he leave home for good? I ran out of the house in anger.   
A little while passed until Vet came out. She looked at me. "Upset about your dad? Think he betrayed you? I think he still cares."   
"Why do you think that? If he cared, he would not have been gone for 10 years." I still get upset when I think back at yelling at Vet. I apoligized and everyone asked what we were going to do. We continued the Quest for Magi. We decided to head south since the riddle Apollo told us mentioned the underwater. There was a port town to the south of the mountain town. On our way, monsters tried to stop us, but they were no match for us. In the town, we talked to the people and got information. We thought that we would have to deal with a god named Neptune. In the Cafe, Vet ordered apple juice and the owner told us how to see in the cave of Bright Darkness. We left the Cafe and due to the late hour, we headed to the Inn.   
When we entered the Inn, the lady said, "Excuse me, are you friends of Ki?"   
"Yes," I answered, a bit suspicious of how this lady knew and why she asked. "Why?"   
"Ki told me a group of people were coming and that one had nightmares."   
"That's me," Vet said in excitement. She might not have nightmares any more.   
"I can help. This potion should help you understand them, although it may change your look in life."   
Skiz then said, "Don't you mean 'on'."   
"No." Vet thanked her and we paid for a night's sleep. 

We woke up the next morning to dead silence. We looked to notice that Vet was awake. She was standing at a mirror. We all walked over to her and noticed that her face had turned red, as if she had sunburn. Vet said to us, "It looks just like the one face I see in my dreams." I had to admit, the face had a beauty all it's own. We left the Inn to check all the shops in town. We then decided to wait on getting Armor and checked out the ocean. When we entered the water, we found that we could breathe in it. It was weird. As we searched the water, we found an underwater volcano. So Nepture didn't exist. It was a good thing we bought X-Cure potions in town since we had to walk through Lava. We fought monsters as we approached the volcano and while we explored it. We started at the bottom and went to the top. Healing ponds helped us stay alive in the volcano. After getting the Magi, we returned to the Port Town. We sold some of the stuff we had and got some armor and items we would need. We then went in search for the cave of brightness.   
When we reached the cave of brightness, the True Eye Magi helped us see in the cave. We took our time exploring the cave and fighting off monsters. There must not have been a god or major monster guarding this cave since Radr didn't give us any warning. We examined every tunnel in the cave and opened every chest. We fought every monster that dared to stop us. When we got to the seventh and last level, we found 3 Magi. We then left the cave and headed for the Palace of Apollo. I wanted to find out more about why he helped us. When we got there, we discovered he had disappeared. This was even more mysterious than him helping us. We left the palace and saw nightfall coming. Vet turned to me and said, "We should head to the mountain town to rest."   
I was reluctant to go back, but Vet normally knew best. We followed her suggestion and sleep at the Inn there. 

We woke up the next morning to a screem. Our first thought was that her nightmares returned. Then we saw it. Her normal shoulder length red hair had gone stiff. "Talk about a bad hair day," She commented. "I look like and inverted pin cushon."   
Skiz walked over to her and said, "I think it looks nice on you. And that is the truth." Vet smiled and we decided to get moving. We sold some of our stuff and then went to the pillar. Some monsters tried to stop us, but they were no match for us. Once we reached the Celestrial World, we went to the next world. The next world appeared to be a town. We checked out the shop in the town, and talked to the people. Somebody mentioned the Guardian Base. Was this were the guardian lived? I started to think, maybe we should meet these guardians. They will greet us with open arms. They probably heard of us defeating Ashura. We got some armor for our team and then rested at the Inn. Afterwards, we entered the Cafe and talked with people there. We got some drinks and the man at the bar said something about using the jukebox. We looked the list over and found the Heroic Tune. We played it and the guardians took us out and took us prisoner. They thought we were spies. We were put in a cell and guarded. When we talked to the guard, my father showed up. The guard then let us out. The guard called my father Captain. Was my father the leader of the guardians? I was getting more confused by the moment. We talked to some of the people and they confirmed it. We also found out about the new gods in our universe. When we reached my fathers chamber, we found out it was near nightfall. He suggested that we get some rest. We did. 

In the middle of the night, we got a rude awakening. Monsters under the control of a god attacked the base. We fought our way to the chamber where the Magi were stored. It was empty. We decided to fight our way out and find dad. Before we could leave the bottom floor, we had to defeat an ogre. It took a short time, but we defeated him. We recovered a Magi from him and went to the next level. At the top of the steps, my father was waiting. Radr looked at him and said, "What happened, Capt. uhh Rich's father, Sir."   
"The New Gods found our base and sent in their monsters." He joined us and we went to fight our way out of the destroyed base. We checked the floor out before we fought the Mantcore. We used attacks that caused massive damage and won another Magi. We searched the next floor and then fought a Magician. Using similar tactics as before, we won and got another Magi. We left the base and headed for the pillar of Sky. Before we reached it, we had to defeat a Commando. We used the same tactics as before and won. After we got the Magi from him, the Commando said that his master had captured Lynn. I tried to ask dad about the connection but he said he would explain later. Radr insisted we save the girl. I had to agree. When we reached the Celestrial World, I noticed that Vet's hands were changing.   
"I guess this is what the lady meant by new look in life." She chuckled and we continued to the next world. We found shops in the Celestrial Path between the Celestrial World and Pillar to the Monsters World. We checked them out and got some Armor. In the world, we ran to confront the god of this world. Lynn was the one who cleared up the thought that she was my sister. My father was helping a friend of his by taking care of her. Dad gave me a Magi and then attacked the monster and it disappeared, as well as him.   
"NO!" I couldn't believe it, my father was dead. We took care of Lynn and went to take her home. Just before we could leave, the demon appeared an attacked us. He was called Ninja, and swore revenge for killing dad." With lethal attacks and the Revenge Sword, we destroyed the Ninja and got a Magi. It took us no time to get Lynn to her house, especially when the monsters avoid you. We talked to Lynn and found out that my father took care of Lynn like a daughter when her father died. I decided to go in search for the Magi so that he didn't die in vain. Before we left, Lynn's mother gave us a Magi. We then headed for Celestrial World and to the Inn we saw in the one path. We decided to rest up there and head to the next world. 

When we woke, we decided to head to the next world after the Monster's World. When we got there, we were in a wall around a city. We entered the city and talked to some of the people there. We fould out that the walls keep the beautiful things inside. We checked some of the shops out and found the Inn and Cafe. We then headed for the palace in the center. Inside we found Venus, a goddess of beauty. It was the same as before with Apollo. After she said there was no Magi in this world, I checked the Prism Magi and found she was lying. Even Vet said, "I don't trust her. She looked at me with distaste." I couldn't understand why, even though the potion was changing her, she still kept her natural beauty. We found out the truth of Venus when we talked to the girl in an arranged marrage. If a person was scarred, they were exiled. We talked to a few more people and decided to leave town. We decided to hunt down this town of dirty people. Monsters attacked us, but we defeated them. We reached the town and talked to some of the people. We learned more of the truth of the twisted goddess named Venus. We decided that we had to either explore the ruins or the sewers. We decided on the sewers first. We found the entrance and explored every aspect of the sewers. We fought off every monster and won every time. We encountered a Hermit. We defeated the large crab and won a Key. On the next level, we found rooms containing chests. In these rooms, we found 3 Magi and a trap in one. On the next level, we found a room with 4 chests, Magi in 3 and a trap in the last. When we finally got out of the sewer, we were in the Palace of Venus. We went to talk with Venus, but she didn't believe we found Magi in the sewer. We talked to Flora for a bit and an earthquake shook the ground. Since it was nearing nightfall, we went to the Inn to rest. 

The next morning was in total silence. Radr woke me and said, "Vet's having the dream again. She seems to be screaming, but no sound is coming out of her mouth." Skiz was franticly trying to calm her down, but with no success. It was obvious he had gotten hurt, but he didn't care. It took some time, but she calmed down and woke up.   
"I finally understand. I think I will be Okay now." She looked at Skiz and saw the wounds. "Did I do that? I'm sorry Skiz, I didn't mean to."   
"I know. Don't worry, it only hurts when you don't smile." He smiled at her and she returned the smile. Boy will the parents be surprised when we get home. Those two were falling in love.   
Radr turned to me and said, "Sir, I think we should check at the other town first. I do think Leon will be there. He might help."   
I looked at Radr, "Radr, how long have you had this ability. To predict things, I mean."   
"I don't know, sir. I guess it comes with me being shy."   
"Would that explain the bear?"   
Radr looked at his storage chamber and saw the bear sticking out. He hid it and said, "I guess I'm still a kid."   
"And by the time we all get home, we will probably be grown up. This is a war against these gods, and now I don't want to lose."   
We left the Inn and got some Items in stores and went to the other town. Monsters tried to stop us, to which the monsters failed. When we reached the other town, we found out Leon was upset about Flora's marrage to Nils. We then went to the volcano to the west. When we entered, we prepared for an extensive search and lava pools. We were thankful for the healing pools we found. We fought our way throught the caves and found many chests. In one passage, I could have sworn Leon was following us. Later on, we found some weapons and again, I could have sworn I saw Leon. We then found 3 Magi, but just as we got them Leon attacked us and took one of the Magi. We knew where he was heading. We ran for the town to tackle with Venus.   
It took us some time, but we got there in time to stop the wedding. The reason it took so long was that monsters tried to stop us. We got some items and went to Venus' castle. When the ceremony began, Leon came in and Venus knocked him down. Flora then defied Venus. Just before Venus could attack Flora, We attacked. We got the Magi back from Leon and fought Venus. We used the weapons to stop her. With her defeat, we got the Magi she had. We then bought some stuff we might need and went to the pillar of Sky. We traveled through the celestrial world to the next world. Upon entering it, we searched for a town. It was nearing nightfall and we needed rest. Some monsters attacked us during our search, but they were unsuccessful. When we found the town, we heard about a dragon race. The person holding the race turned out to be Mr. Apollo. Before we talked to him we decided to rest for the night. 

In the morning we checked out some of the shops and got some stuff. Afterwards we went to speak with Apollo. We then entered the race on the cheapest dragon we could get. We were in the race and off to a slow start. As we mad our way around the track, monsters had attacked the others. Monsters also attacked us but we took care of them. Eventually, we came across a powerful monster. It was a group of Watchers. We fought them and won all the Magi the others lost. We then crossed the finish line to get the Magi that Apollo offered. I trusted him even less now. After winning the race, we headed to the next world through the celestrial world. The next world was an Oriental world. I remembered stories about this world and we made our way to the castle. I heard that the Shogun had been very friendly in the past. We were told to leave and we fought monsters until we reached a town. In the town, we headed for the Inn to slept for the night. 

When we woke up, we talked to some people and found out about the Hatamotos, a gang in the town. We stopped by the shop, but the shopkeeper was very nervous. We then tried to cross the bridge, but the gang attacked us. We fought them off and the local constable came to stop them. Her name was Hana and she took care of the rest of the group. We checked out the rest of the town and traveled to another town. Monsters attacked us from everywhere. We were lucky to even make it into the other town. We talked to Hana and the people and heard some interesting things. We then decided to return to the town were the Hatamotos were. We fought monsters to earn money for better equipment. We noticed that nightfall was starting to approach and we rested at the Inn. 

In the morning, we decided to do some more monster fighting. We figured that we needed new equipment to handle the Hatamotos and the smuglers that Hana talked about. We even found out about a shipment. We went to tell Hana about this. When we got to her town, we found out she had left for the harbor. We went the harbor to find Hana's friend there. He told us were she went and we hunted for her. We went to his ship at the middle dock and took any treasure we could get. When we got to Hana, Taro had got there. I do believe that the school teacher and the detective were in a relationship by the way he risked his life. He went to tell Kame that Hana was fine, and we rushed to the courthouse with the evidence. After we got to the court, the storeowner was proven to be innocent, but Hana, nor us, believed it. We went back to her town and talked about it. Kame was then brought in wounded. Officers were coming and I started thinking that somebody high up was behind this. As nightfall was aproaching, we rested at the Inn. 

In the morning, we got X-Cure Potions and headed for Echigoyas. We fought off monsters and ran for the shop. At the shop, we got behind the counter and headed down to the basement. We followed the corridor to a room filled with monsters. We fought them off and were lucky. We then continued to a room were Echigoya was, and he was with the Shogun. We overheard their plan and stormed in. The Shogun escaped and we fought the others. We returned to Hana's town and found out that Taro was a guardian. We decided to storm the Shogun's palace. We bought X-Cure and weapons and headed for the palace. It was nightfall when we stormed the palace. We avoided the guards and searched every floor. We eventually found Shogun on the top floor. We attacked him and found him to be easy to defeat. Then the Shogun's father appeared, the god Magnate. We followed the demon to the roof and fought him. With magic and weapons of the world, as well as using the Aegis Magi to defend myself, we eventually defeated him. We recovered 4 Magi. We returned to Hana's place and they all thanked us before we left. We climbed the pillar and reentered the celestrial world. We entered the next world only to find one cave. As we approached the cave, Radr said, "Sir, I think we are going to have a lot of trouble in this cave."   
"Radr, what is it?"   
"There are a lot of monsters, about as powerful as those in Edo."   
"That could be a problem, but there must be a Magi in there somewhere. There may also be some other goodies in there as well. I think we could use the experience anyhow. After the fight with Magnate, we could use experience because we will probably encounter more powerful gods." Just inside the cave, a pixie warned us that the "Dungeon" was a terrible place and we should take the Magi and run.   
"D-d-d-dungeon" Vet studdered and she curled up into a ball. She was scared. Skiz knealed next to her and held her. Trying to comfort her, I overheard him say that he would protect her. We then worked our way around the first floor of the Dungeon and found several items of use before going to the second floor. We checked the Magi we recieved and discovered it was the Pegasus Magi. It could teleport us anywhere we visited. We used it when we needed to get more supplies to get through the dungeon. When we hit the floor of the the second level, we decided to rest for a while. Some of us needed to sleep after those battles, and we decided that we would guard in shifts. Skiz and I went first.   
While Vet and Radr rested, Skiz said, "Rich, you've known Vet all your life, right?"   
"Yeah. She sometimes helped me through the tough times without my father. She is a real friend. She even saved our town once."   
"That must have before my family came to town."   
"Yes. This strange man came to town. He called himself St. Marius. He said he could save us from all the evil gods if we followed him. Vet didn't trust him for a moment, I talked with her about it, but she had a strong mind that you can't change. We confronted the stranger and he told us the truth. He was a vampire of sorts and was going to eat us all. Everybody heard the ruckus outside and saw him try to attack us. They drove him out of town quickly. Nobody has seen him since, and Vet was treated as a hero, because she was the only one who saw the truth."   
"How comes Radr didn't pick up on this?"   
"He didn't come to town until after that. It was about a month before you arrived in town. He saved the town as well once."   
"Are you kidding?"   
"Well, It all started when the strange people attacked our town. We would have died if Radr hadn't said that there were the people with blades inbedded in there hand coming to devour us."   
"I don't believe you."   
"Good, because I just fed you a line of bull. Can you see how crazy that would be. It sounds like they would eat with their hands."   
"I can't believed this. A person so honest that he probably get kicked out of town meeting if he said a word, told a lie."   
"I tell lies only if part of a joke. But inbedded in any lie a tell as part of a joke is a little truth. Now, Master Skiz, why do you lie on an hourly basis."   
"Look at me, I'm a monster. If I didn't lie like this, every time I would get angry, they would think I was telling the truth about hurting them. I lie to make friends, not to lose them."   
"You would make a terrific politician."   
"You mean a leader of a town."   
"Yeah. Now, why do you have the name Skiz?"   
"Well, most monsters eat only one food for most of their lives. But I kept eating different foods, and kept transforming into different monsters. My folks thought the name suited me best."   
"What type of monster were you when you were born?"   
"A Kraken."   
"Well, I guess we should change the watch now."   
He woke Vet and Radr and then went to sleep. 

Skiz and I awoke well refreshed and we continued exploring the dungeon. We found a lot of interesting items on the second floor. The battles were getting tougher. When we reached the third floor, we found that the monsters were getting tougher. We were thankful when Skiz turned into a Fairy. At least we didn't have to use our cure potions. But before we hit the next floor, we had to warp back to Edo and get some X-Cure potions. We then returned to the dungeon and went to the 4th floor. We found some items on that floor and down some tunnels and made our way to the door to the next floor. One of the items we found was a tent, so when we reached the bottom of the steps and used the tent tor rest. Vet decided to take first watch with me. She turned to me and said, "Rich, there has been something bothering me since we started this quest."   
I turned to my friend. "What is it, Vet?"   
"You remember that creep that came to our town?"   
"Yeah, how could anybody forget that evil man, St. Marius."   
"Well, I'm worried that we'll run into him again. I sensed that when the town chased him out, he blamed us."   
"I think your being paranoid, Vet. Besides, I'm still trying to figure out how you knew not to trust him."   
"I don't know, maybe we met in a past life."   
"Like the one you constantly had in the nightmares."   
"Maybe."   
"Tell me, Vet. I don't know if what's happenning is happenning, but I do believe that you and Skiz are falling in love."   
"I think you're right. I have feelings for him, but I'm afraid to say anything."   
"I think you will when you feel the time is right, or maybe he will say it first."   
"I guess you're right. I think we better get some rest before we continue."   
"Agreed."   
And with that, we woke Skiz and Radr up and went to sleep. 

When we woke, we started to explore the 5th floor of this dungeon. We found illusion walls and more chests, including Selfix armor. When we ran out of X-Cure potions, we warped back to Edo to buy more X-Cure potions and returned to the dungeon and made our way to the 6th floor. The monsters got more and more dangerous as we worked our way down. By the time we were ready to head down to the 7th floor, we needed more X-Cure potions. We then returned to the Dungeon and went to the 7th floor. We found another tent and we continued to the 8th floor. It was a regular maze. We found many chests and then found a stairway up. At the top, the fairy was waiting for us. She asked us if we thought it was nasty. I look at my companions, Skiz was blind and Radr was turned to stone. I had to agree with her. After we left, we returned to Edo and cured all the rest and slept at the Inn for the night. 

We woke up and then headed for the Celestrial world. We headed to the world next to the "Nasty Dungeon" as we now called it, and found it was based on clouds. I noticed that way down below us was another cloud, with a small town on it, and a whole world below it. We traveled along the clouds until we reached a large temple. We entered it and explored it. As we reached the top of the temple, we meet the god Odin. He didn't waste any time and attacked us. His attack was anticipated and I used the most devastating weapons we found in the "Nasty Dungeon" to defeat him. With that we earned 8 Magi, and we left Odin's Temple. We searched around and found the next Pillar. We headed for the next world. As we left the Pillar we followed a path to another Pillar of Sky. As we reached it, we met Apollo, for the next to last time. He finally revealed his true colors. He demanded us to give him all the Magi. He sicked his minion on us when I refused. We defeated it and then he conjured up all our friends who we helped and threatened their lives. We unwillingly handed them over and he entered the pillar. I almost collapsed. After living through monster attacks, and defeating various gods and the loss of my father, I lost the entire world we live in. All of a sudden, I heard a voice yell "Don't lose hope!!" I look up and saw....my father! He was still alive. He then revealed the biggest secret about the Magi. There were exactly 78 instead of 77. Dad joined the team and we headed for a town. It was nearing nightfall, and we needed rest. As we approached the Inn, Vet tapped me on the shoulder.   
"What is it, Vet?"   
"I'll tell you inside."   
We entered the Inn and paid for a night's rest. As the others fell asleep, I went over to Vet and said, "Now, what's the secret."   
"I saw him out there. St. Marius."   
I almost shouted but controlled my voice. "What do mean you saw him?"   
"He was in the far corner of the town. He watched us as we entered the Inn."   
After that, I wasn't sure if I could sleep. I know that when Vet was upset like this, she was usually right. We were up about half the night pacing. We knew that madman blamed us for what happened in our town when he tried to lure everyone to their deaths. It was about the the middle of the night when I heard the door open. Vet and I prepared our weapons. The last town we had to use weapons in was back in Ashura's world. We left the room our group had gotten and entered the hall. Right in the hallway stood our worse nightmare. At first glance, his dignified look betrayed his mind. He looked at us and said, "The adventure's son. I have been waiting years for my revenge. And it appears that I will get the girl who started it all, as well. I do have to say that the look comes right out of my dreams, be they nightmares or fantasies."   
I held up my sword and said, "This is were you retreated to after you were chased out of town."   
"Yes, but I have not been able to find any group of people as gullible as the town you came from."   
Vet spoke up as she shot a flame at him. "You won't ever get another chance to kill us."   
"What do you mean?"   
"The world is going to be destoyed by a power-hungry god."   
"I don't believe you."   
With that he started advancing toward us. Vet's flame disappated as it approached him. I swung my sword and it didn't even hurt him. We started to back away from him until we hit the end of the hall. He had gotten strong since he was in our town.   
Over the years he could have been fighting monsters, killing them and growing more powerful than any of us. Just as he was about to catch us, the innkeeper came up behind him and knocked him out with a Jyudo move.   
"You'll be okay. I shall throw him out of here. He has tried to kill many of my guests. For some reason, he has a grude against me." She hauled the one being that truly scared me and Vet out of the Inn and we returned to the room we had. We then slept until morning. 

We awoke and went to leave the Inn. The Innkeeper came over to all of us and asked how we slept. My father said, "We all slept well. I don't think anybody had trouble sleeping. By the way, I remember when I arrived two days ago about you mentioning a strange fellow. He didn't try anything last night, did he?"   
"No sir. He hasn't been seen for days. Maybe the sight of such brave adventurers had scared him off."   
She gave a wink in our direction as Vet walked up behind me. Vet whispered, "She's trying to protect us."   
I nodded and said to the Innkeeper, "You are probably right." With that, we left the Inn and talked in the town to get information about the final dungeon. We found out that the entity in there was probably the most dangerous entity around. We stocked up on tents and then left for the dungeon. We went directly to the dungeon and began the descent. The dungeon was hideous, with living faces on the walls. We searched every alcove of the 1st floor finding something of use, but not a Magi. On the second floor, we continued our search. We found a Sun Sword, but not a Magi. We searched through the 3rd floor and found nothing. When we reached the 4th floor, Dad suggested that we should rest for a bit using the tent. As always, I took first watch, but Dad joined me on the watch.   
I turned to my father and said, "I thought that you were dead."   
"No, I had just gotten teleported to another world. One with a very large dungeon. It was about 8 levels as I remember. The bottom level was very confusing."   
"I know, we went through that dungeon. But how did you get past Odin."   
"Is that the god who was in control of the area above Pureland?"   
"If you mean, the clouds, yes."   
"Easy, I didn't enter the temple. I had a portable bridge. After that I made my way to this town. It was a very long journey. Especially dodging monster when you are low on weapons. Now, what has happened to Vet that she looks so different."   
I told my father the long story and we decided that it was time to rest up for the rest of our search. 

When we woke up from our rest. We searched the 4th floor of the dungeon. We then headed up to the 5th floor. We found Arthur armor on the previous floor, and on his one we found a Psi Gun. We went to the 6th floor to find another Parasuit, which Vet wore. On the 7th floor, we found another tent. It seemed that all we were doing was finding weapons and armor and fighting monsters. Then dad mentioned that the final Magi was guarded by the toughest foe yet. I hoped that this battle would be easy. With that thought in mind, we traveled to the 8th floor. By the time we reached the 9th floor, we were badly in need of rest. So we set up another tent and went to rest. This time during watch, I was assisted by Radr. Radr decided to tell me something that worried me. "Sir, I don't know if I should mention this but.."   
"Radr, you don't have to call me sir."   
"I'm sorry Rich. But as I was saying, I think I'm losing my ability. I can't detect a problem here."   
"Radr, I have a feeling that the enemy is so powerful, that it isn't letting you detect it."   
"You mean that.."   
"Yes, it is either a powerful god, or a very powerful robot."   
This started to worry us and we decided that it would be wise to tell everyone after we rested. 

We woke up and told everybody what we thought we would be dealing with. Everybody started to worry. We the searched the floor and found the Xcalabur Sword. We went to the 10th floor and search allowed us to find a NukeBomb. I figure that this would be the edge we needed. We then went to the 11th floor. In the distance, we saw a glint of metal. As we approached it, we saw a foe. It called itself Warmech. We set up a tent and stepped inside. It was then we realized that just stepping in a tent cured all wounds. We then attacked the Warmech. Using our most powerful weapons, we defeated Warmech and recovered the Heart Magi. We ran to town and grabbed some Heal Staffs as well and sold some stuff so we could attack Appolo in the Celestrial Temple. He had probably finished assembling the Magi. Without all 78, we might lose our world. We then headed for the Celestrial Temple. Once inside, we started the battle with Apollo. He had put all the Magi together, and was gaining their power. He started to change during the battle. This was when he started to attack. After a while, Apollo started to melt. An in short order, he exploded. Dad shield us from the explosion and fell. I saw he was dying. I couldn't forgive myself if he died. But, I also noticed that the world was shaking. Then I relized that the only hope was to assemble the Magi. When this was done, Isis appeared. She saved my dad and then we headed to the center of the world to stop what was causing the shaking. She told us that the security system, "Arsenal" must be malfunctioning. We fought our way down the long stairwell to the center of the world. Along the way, we had to fight creatures like TianLung and Fenrir. When we reached the bottom of the stair, we all rested in a tent so we would have enough energy for the final battle. 

As we continue to the left and upward, we worked our way to the Arsenal. Along the way, we encountered a Haniwa which left a Seven Sword behind. I figured that this would be a big help. After resting in one of the tents, we attacked the Arsenals. We used our strongest attacks to defeat the cannons and the mini-smasher. When the Smasher came into play, Vet used Heal Staffs to help us survive. When the Arsenmal fell, Isis told us that we had saved the world. We could now return home as she took care of everything. We returned to my father and we then went home, stopping by the homes of our new friends. When we returned home, everyone was happy to see us. About a week later, my father decided to search of the Lost Ark. Mom and I weren't about to lose him again and we followed him. 

Epilogue   
========================================= 

It has been about 10 years since adventure ended. I have returned to my home town for a reason. My friend Vet and Skiz were getting married and Skiz asked me to be the best man. In our own way, we all stayed in touch with the others. With my parents still searching Pureland for the Lost Ark, I decided to return to the home town and settle down for a while. I decided to document all of my adventures in these memoirs. It seems that when you have such an epic adventure such as this, one can never forget it. 


	3. The Legend of The Haniwa

The Legend Of The Haniwa   
(A Story And Addendum For Memoirs Of An Adventure's Child.)   
(All Characters Are Ficticious And bare no resemblence to living people. Any resemblence to fictional characters is only by chance.)   
====================================================== 

It has been almost eleven years since the rebirth of the world. When I finished writing down my adventures, I started wondering about something. I looked over at the sword I had received in my battle with the odd creatures that seemed to dwell in the center of the world. At the time, all Isis said was that they were called Hanawa, or was it Haniwa, and the sword was called the Seven Sword. I decided that I would ask Isis about these items. She said that it would take a while to return everything to normal, and repair the Arsenal Units. In the year that had pasted since I wrote down my adventures, I moved from my home town to the town near the final dungeon. The lady at the Inn there had told me, after my friends and I had saved the world, that I would always be welcome at her Inn. This morning, I went off to the Celestrial Temple. When I arrived, Isis was just leaving the elevator area. The legend said that she built the Arsenal Units, but she looked frustrated. I walked over to her. She had always welcomed my friends and I to the temple. She even preformed the wedding ceremony for Skiz and Vet. I asked, "Isis, is something wrong? You look frustrated."   
The goddess that was trying to repair the damage to our world said, "Something that will take a long time to correct, and it is not getting easier. The Haniwa are growing in number. I realize that I made a mistake long ago."   
The Haniwa. That was what I was going to ask her about. I then said, "Isis, I came here to ask you about the Haniwa, and the Seven Sword?"   
She seemed to hear me, but she also appeared to be listening to something else. At the mention of the Seven Sword, she asked, "Did you bring it with you?" When I shook my head, she took my arm and said, "Then follow me, and be quiet. The one who commands the Hawinas returns, and neither of us are safe. Once he goes to the Center Of The World, we will be safe." She took me to the door which lead to the steps down. Isis left the door open a crack, to watch.   
I watched as two figures entered the temple. I almost wish I hadn't. The first figure was a female human, in her early teens. I had seen her in the rebuilt Guardian Base a few times, but the man following her I recognized right away. In a whisper, I said, "St. Marius."   
I noticed that Isis eyed me with shock. When the two figures disappeared, she took me out to the main temple and said, "You have encountered Marius before, and lived. How?"   
I told her of how St. Marius came to my town, of how Vet hadn't trusted him, and how she and I revealed his true intentions to the town. I then told her how he vowwed vengence, and how he almost killed us eleven years ago. I then asked, "What does he have to do with the Haniwas?" for she implied he was the one that commanded them.   
She lead me out to the Celestrial World, and off to a part of the temple which could only be accessed by herself. Once inside, she said, "Rich, this is my home. It is the only spot safe from Marius. You want to know about the Haniwas, the Seven Sword, and Marius. Sit down, for I will tell you the tale, and of how it began over 2000 years ago." I then felt as if I was viewing it as a spirit watching the world. I appeared to be outside the temple when I heard her say, "I.... 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

I had been protecting the world and keeping it peaceful. I knew that there was evil in the world, but I had seen the gods from the other worlds. Each was an evil and ugly looking being. My own beleifs had proved to be my undoing. It began with a priest, actually two priests. They were Ki and Marius. Each appeared to prove that they deserved to be the Temple Priest, but my belief made me choose the wrong person. At that time, Ki looked like a commoner, where Marius had his dignified look. I choose Marius. He would be in charge of holding the world in check as I built a device to stop the evil gods and goddesses. That was the Arsenal Unit's. During that time, when I was isolated in the center of the world, my world started to suffer. I felt the evil effecting parts of the celestrial world. Before I had the chance to activate the units, the evil had corrupted two worlds, and many evil gods were already residing there. They were also taking root in some of the worlds that were intact.   
I had returned to the Temple to see Marius changing one of the evil ones into a Dragon-like creature. The creature faded from sight. I was floating above the floor and yelled at Marius, "You traitor! You have been helping those who you have sworn to fight."   
He only smiled and said, "I said I would fight for the right. You only thought I meant you. My whole goal was to hand this world over to the gods that attacked. To unite them. To gain your power." It was then I learned the truth of Marius.   
I looked at this vile being and said, "If you want power in that way, I shall make you into what you crave. You are the Hani." I let loose with a blast of magic and Marius flew off his feet. When he stood again, I said, "You wanted to control people, now you will, but there is a price. A hunger. You will be worse than a vampire. You will steal their life, their will, their souls, their essence. All that will be left is an empty shell. That is what you will have as a follower, a lifeless shell, for all eternity. You are the Hani. You are the Curse One."   
Marius looked at me and yelled, "I will get you for this, Isis. I shall destroy you." He knew the legend of the cursed ones. The Hani was a being that needed to feed on the living, but also had to destroy the shells, in fear that they would kill his feast before he could feed. If the Hani could not feed, he would fade into the void, never to be seen again. He ran out of the temple, and I thought I had seen the last of him. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

I was shocked at what I had just heard. Isis, the protecter of our world, had created the monster that I had known as St. Marius. It was even worse to know that this, this thing had been alive for 2000 years. I then started to wonder. All priests of Isis were able to cast spells. I looked at Isis and asked, "If St. Marius had been a priest, what happened to his magic?"   
Isis looked at me. She saw the confusion in my eyes, and sensed it in my mind. "I have told you that the Hani are cursed. They are reduced to the lowest fighting skills, they are stripped of Mana, but they retain the knowledge of their life. A Hani is cursed for life, until they have been killed by the traditional way. If a Hani is pulled into the void, the shells go on a murderous rampage, killing all in their way."   
I saw hope in the fact that there was a way to destroy St. Marius. I looked at Isis and asked, "How do I defeat him?"   
She then said, "Normally," I didn't like the sound of that, "a Hani could only be killed by the Seven Sword. But Marius is not the normal Hani?"   
"Why?" I asked, not really wanting to know.   
"Because, I made my mistake even worse. I.." 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

I knew that I had to stop the gods that had started to invade. But parts of the world had started to become corrupt. The world know as Pureland had become so violent with warring gods, that I split it from the celestrial world. The only way to it was the long drop from the world of Valhalla. As I had severed the connection from my world, another entity incased Pureland in a shield. He was a kind god from another plane that was close to Pureland. I then severed off the land of the tower. It two had been corrupted by four evil fiends, under the control of an invading god. But then, the others that had invaded started to attack me as I searched for them. They had wanted my power. I teleported to the Arsenal unit. I needed to activate it, for it would save me and my world. It was then I got a nasty surprised.   
I activated the Arsenal and nothing happened. I was in shock until I heard him. "Surprised, Isis. I told you I would get even. I put a timer on the Arsenal unit. It won't activate for 2000 years, and by then, you will be dead." Marius had shown that he had the upper hand at the time, as seven shells appeared around him. The seventh carried the Seven Sword. He did something that was thought impossible. The Hani controlled the shells. They were his followers.   
Time was running short, and I needed to save myself and protect the world. I looked at the shells, and at Marius as they slowly advanced. He was confident of victory, but I thought I would have the last laugh. I doubled the curse on him. "Marius, this shall stop your evil ways. Your followers, the Wa of the Hani, are forced to exist only in the center of the world. They can never leave this area. They cannot leave the mana net that is the center of the world. The Haniwa are doomed to stay here." The curse also altered the Hani, changing the way to kill him. "And as a reminder of the shells, they will lose form, lose their eyes, and there mouths will be forced into an eternal shout of pain. They will only have arms and can only travel on the mana net ot the center of the world. They will only rest if killed, or you are killed." I started the chant to save myself.   
As I changed into the Magi statue, Marius said, "I could only be killed by the Seven Sword, by the chosen ones. Now, you have made it so that I must be hit seven times by the sword." He was taunting me. He had something up his sleeve and he then said, "In 2000 years, the Arsenal will start expanding the mana net, breaking into the realms of this world. Only then will the Haniwa attack the world, and I will have won." His laugh cut through me like a knife. The only hope I had was in the four chosen ones of the prophesy. I thought that for the 2000 years that I was in pieces. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

"So that is the story of the Haniwa. But what about the Seven Sword?" I was wondering more and more about how this was all tying together.   
Isis looked at me and said, "Rest for now. I will tell you more later. I must try and repair the damage to the Arsenal. Every minute I am away, the Haniwa are busy redoing the damage that Marius wants."   
I was too nervous, and too anxious to rest, but just as I tried to protest, I felt tired. Isis must have put a sleep spell on me. Maybe I shouldn't try and question her. 

When I awoke, Isis had returned. She was more frustrated then before. "All this sabitoge must be undone. It is starting to appear that all my work is being undone, just as I have finished it." The Haniwa must have been working on the Arsenal as well. Maybe they were trying to activate the Arsenal to complete the plan.   
Before I fell asleep, I had asked Isis about the Seven Sword. I decided to ask again about. "Isis, you were going to tell me about the Seven Sword."   
She nodded and said, "The Seven Sword is a Magical weapon older than Marius, older than me, older than everything that existed in this world." She then said, as I felt I was drifting back in time, "It... 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

It all began when the many universes were forming. At the time of the formation, two entites constantly fought. One was Deror, who stood for all that is good, and the other was Shoac, who stood for all that is evil. Each had a magical sword. Deror's sword was called Turvie, which could destroy evil, while Shoac's sword was called Nis, which could destroy good. These two were fighting for all these universes. It was believed that the balance would preserve the universes in peace. Deror always countered every attack made by Shoac, but at one instant, Shoac thrusted Nis into Redor center of existance. At the instant, Redor had countered with the same move, and the two exploded. The two swords merged and shattered. They could only be called forth by the servents of the Hani, for the Hani were beings of evil, but could not handle the sword unless it was taken from a fallen hero. Legend stated that the first cursed one summoned a fragment of the shattered sword when he drained his seventh victim, the sword then earned the name the Seven Sword. The Seven Sword, when in the hands of the shells, retained the powers of evil, but could be used countless times. Once the shell was killed by a hero, the sword was claimed by the Hero and had the power of good, but that came at a price. The sword could only be used seven times. If the hero was slain by the Hani, the Hani claimed the darkened sword and it could only be used once.   
The Seven Sword was the sword of ultimate good, or evil. It's alignment was set with it's holder. In the hands of the shells, or the Hani, the sword strike would intensify all the evils in the being's soul. If one was not a chosen one, or hero, the overwhelming evil killed instantly. The chosen ones were only drained when struck. In the hands of the Hero, or chosen ones, the Seven sword could destroy the shells, and Hani, who were pure evil. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

The Seven Sword which I had, was the weapon I need to defeat the Hani, and to stop the Haniwa. But one thing was bothering about the story. I turned to Isis and asked, "Isis, you said that Marius had said you had alter how to defeat him by cursing the shells. How?"   
She then explained what she had said. "When I cursed Marius the first time, I turned him into a Hani. The second curse had stregthened him, by confining his followers, the Haniwa. He knew that a threat of good could only appear once every two thousand years. About 6000 years ago, I was brought into this world, and stopped the evil in the celestrial world. About 4000 years ago, after my people, the ancients, died, the priests of Isis appeared and unified the worlds that were corrupting this world from the smaller worlds. About 2000 years ago, Ki appeared and rescue the few pieces of Magi that I was in from being destoried by the Hani, for she hid them with in her. He couldn't drain her, for the Magi protected her from that horrid fate. Rich, you and Vet are the only ones who can successfully defeat the Hani, for with how quickly they work, our world will never last until another force of good is born. The prophecy said that only the chosen ones could stop the curse. Skiz and Radr are out since Skiz is a monster, and Radr is a robot. When Radr takes a weapon, half of it usage is transfered into life."   
"And since Skiz can't hold a weapon, Vet and I are the only ones who can do defeat the Hani."   
Isis nodded and said, "Yes, for only you can carry a Seven Sword with a full seven uses. For that is the only way to end the threat of the Hani, to successfully strike him seven times with a Seven Sword." I now knew that eventually I had to tell Vet about this and I would have to get another Seven Sword before I could attack the Hani.   
I thanked Isis for the information, and Isis transported me back to the Inn in the town near the final dungeon. As I walked in, the Innkeeper looked at me and asked, "Is something wrong? You look like you were told you were going to die."   
I looked at the her. She had save me and Vet from St. Marius eleven years ago. I finally said, "I found out the truth about the man you save me and my friend from eleven years agos."   
"Yes"   
"He is a Hani, and a very dangerous one." She gasped and she shut down the Inn for the day. Now the only question on my mind was, "How do you tell your best friend that they are one of the only two people that can defeat the most dangerous evil know in the world?" I decided to go back to my room and think about it. When the time was right, I would tell Vet. 


	4. The First Meeting

The First Meeting   
(A Story And Addendum For Memoirs Of The Heroes. (Previously "Memoirs Of An Adventure's Child."))   
(All Characters Are Ficticious And bare no resemblence to living people. Any resemblence to fictional characters is only by chance.)   
===================================================== 

"Mommy, tell us a story," said JaNa, her little face smiling.   
"Yea, Mommy, tell us a story of heroes." said KLar, his voice full of excitement.   
Vet looked at her children. The twins had been born a year after she and Skiz got married. She looked at her children. Many people said that they were like angels, but that was because of their background. She was a mutant, and Skiz was a monster, thus her children were beasts. She loved them and sometimes spoiled her children. She looked at her kids and said, "I'll tell you a story. It is about your mother and one of her friends, and a very evil man."   
KLar, her son, said, "Was this before you met Daddy?"   
"Yes, KLar. It was before I met Daddy. It was also before I looked like this."   
"Before you looked pretty, Mommy?" JaNa asked. JaNa's own skin now started to reflect the red hue that Vet's had taken over her adventure.   
"Yes, it was before that. Let me tell you the story of how your mother and her friend save our town." Vet said, and began her story. "It ................... 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

It started when news of evil gods in the world reached our town. I had just turned ten and Rich was eleven. Rich's father had been away since Rich's sixth birthday. Rich had befriended me when I started school. I turned out to be his best friend, and helped him through some very tough times. After school one day, Rich came over to me and said, "I heard some of the people talking today. They said a stranger arrived, offering to save us from the invasion that is coming our way."   
I looked at him. Rich appeared to be happy about the possiblity of no gods controlling them. The town had been isolated from the rest of this realm by the mountains. It would probably take years for the gods to establish a force in the realm. Other realm or worlds had been taken over by now, but who could promise to protect us. I looked at Rich and said, "Who is this person that said they could do this?"   
"He called himself St. Marius, and that he served Isis, the goddess that created this entire world." When I heard the name Isis, I figured that the man had come to save us. Rich then told me, "He plans to talk to us at the school, tomorrow. If he can protect us, we might move, but then how will my father find us." I saw the concern in my friend's eyes.   
I walked over to him and said, "I'm sure that your father will find us, where ever we are?" He seemed to relax and I then said, "I guess I see you in school tomorrow." I watched as he returned home. That night, I was looking out of my window, when I saw a man walking through the town. I couldn't see his face, but I sensed something about him. I could not place a word to it, but it seemed familiar. I decided to try and get some sleep. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

"Did you find out why, Mommy?" JaNa asked.   
"Yes, I did, JaNa. And it was my dreams that told me the answer. You see JaNa, KLar, I had dreams about a past life. A person in those dreams filled me with dread. It was then I discovered that feeling I sensed was evil." 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

When I awoke the next day, my father had been at my side. He always comforted me when the nightmare's came. At school, I was going to tell Rich about the person I saw when Mr.S, my teacher, said "I would like to introduce you to a priest of Isis, St. Marius." A man came from the back of the room. He walked, and looked very dignified, but I felt uneasy around him. As he passed me, he glanced in my direction. I saw a look of recognition in his eyes, although in this life we had never met. I then felt that feeling again, the one I had the previous night. This was the same man.   
When the man reached the front of the room, he started to speak. "My children, as you probably heard, evil is upon us. Isis swore that none of her people would suffer, and I have come to take you to her. To protect you from the evil gods, I will take you to her hallowed home, where she is." I sensed that he was lying. All though the day, people were asking him questions, and eventually Rich came over to me.   
"Vet, I want you to stand by me as I ask St. Marius how my father would find us." I was surprised that he, of all pepole, would consider believing this man. Before I could protest, Rich had dragged me over there and asked St. Marius, "Sir, my father is an adventurer. If we follow you, how will my father find us?"   
I saw St. Marius looking at me. He had that look again in his eyes. He then turned to Rich and said, "Do not worry, my child, he will find us. Or I will find him, if he is a follower of Isis." He looked at me again and asked, "Is this your girlfriend, my child?" He reached out to touch my shoulder, but I moved back, behind Rich.   
Rich looked at me oddly and then said to St. Marius, "No, Vet is my best friend. She helps me through the tough times." I couldn't believe that Rich believed this man. I could see nothing but evil in the man. Rich must have noticed my uneasiness and led us out of the school house. Once outside, he looked at me and said, "Vet, what is wrong with you? You're acting like St. Marius is the most evil entity that has ever existed." I looked at Rich. I couldn't begin to explain my reaccuring nightmares.   
"Rich, I saw him from my bedroom window. I swear he is evil. I can't tell you how I know, but I just know." Rich looked at me as if I was crazy. I ran back home, crying. My best friend in the known world didn't believe me.   
As I sat in my room, my father came up to me and asked, "What's wrong, Vet? You never are this upset after school."   
I looked at my father through tear filled eyes. "Rich didn't believe me. I think that the man, St. Marius is evil. I got the same feelings that I got in my dreams."   
My father looked at me and hugged me. "Don't worry, if he proves to be evil, we shall defeat him if he tries anything. Remember, your mother always had said that you were a special child. Maybe your warning might help us if he tries anything." I didn't feel better about that. For the rest of the day, I watched the town from my window.   
As the sun was beginning to set, I noticed a friend of mine walking home. It was Jena. Jena was a good friend of mine since I came to the town. She had stayed over once, and we spent the night talking girl talk. This evening, she was on her way home, when I saw St. Marius come into view. He had stopped her. Since they were close to the house, I heard St. Marius say, "My child, wouldn't you like to be the first to meet with Isis?"   
I watched as Jena went to reply. "I need to.." I saw a spark of red light jumped from her eyes to his eyes. She finished but saying vacantly "see Isis. She can save us." I heard St. Marius give a sigh of satisfaction. He must have done something to her. That red light must have been it.   
I gasped, and he spun around. I ducked out of view of the window. I hoped he hadn't seen me, but I then heard him say, "You will be the next to go see Isis." With that, I heard him walk away. I returned to the window, seeing St. Marius lead Jena out of town behind him. What he had just said scared me, because I knew that when St. Marius returned, he was going to kill me. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

"What happened to Jena, Mommy?" Both of her children asked.   
"I don't know. She is probably dead now. But, St. Marius had not been gone long, and he returned to kill me." My children's eyes went wide, and I then said, "And finally Rich had believed me, because if he didn't, you wouldn't be here today. You see The..." 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

The next day at school, everyone was wondering where Jena had gone. I knew what had happened to her, but before I could say anything, Mr. S. said, "Children, St. Marius told me that Jena came to him after school and asked to see Isis, in person. He said that she couldn't wait to see the world were we would be safe from evil." I then realiazed that St. Marius had probably set everything up. He was going to do the same trick again, and I would never be seen again.   
I had spent the day shivering in fright. Towards the end of class, Rich tapped me on the shoulder. I screamed in fright and ran to the door. Mr.S was standing near the door and stopped me. I was in sheer terror. I started crying and saying, "I don't wan't to die. Don't let him kill me."   
I saw Rich walk over to my side. I saw the concern in his eyes as he asked the question I knew would give an answer that no one would believe. "Let who kill you?"   
I was in so much fright I could barely say the answer, but only Rich and Mr.S heard it. "S-s-st. M-m-marius."   
Mr.S stood up and said, "Class dismissed, and everyone head home." As everyone left the building, only Rich stayed behind and tried to calm me down. I could tell that he was finally seeing what I had seen. Mr.S then said to me, "Vet, how can you say such a thing? St. Marius is offering us a chance to be safe from the evil gods taking our realm over."   
"Mr.S, Vet told me about this yesterday, and now I am starting to believe her. I not sure how, but something seems wrong. Besides, this seems too good to be true. I remember my father saying something like that when I was younger. He said 'If something is too good to be true, it probably isn't.' and that seem to be it here," Rich said, now believing me.   
Mr.S walked over to the two of us and said, "I don't know, Rich, but I will hold a meeting tomorrow night, and if he returns tomorrow, stay with Vet and don't run into him." Rich nodded and we left the school.   
As we walked from the school, Rich looked at me and said, "What happened to Jena?" He was concerned as well about Jena, because he was going to ask her out. He started to have feelings for her, and I knew that we would never have feelings for each other. We were like brother and sister.   
I turned to Rich and said, "I show you from my view point." I led Rich to my home, and up to my room. When we reached the room, I led Rich to the window. "I was here at my window when I saw Jena heading home. She was stopped by St. Marius. He asked her if she want to see Isis. She start to tell him that she needed to get home, when a spark of red light jumped between their eyes. She then said she wanted to go. I gasped and he heard me. He turned to the window and told me I was next, and then left with her following him. It was as if she didn't have a will of her own anymore."   
Rich looked at me and said, "Vet, until we can be sure that you are safe, I am going to stay here. If St. Marius is evil as you fear, it will be best for you if someone was here in case he returns tonight."   
I turned to Rich and said, "Okay, but I need to talk to my father first." Rich nodded and I went down to my father.   
When I got down there, he said, "You want a potion to stop the dreams for tonight." I sometimes wondered how my father knew what I wanted. He then said, "Rich has a voice that carries, which I have no doubt comes from his father. I'll get one ready, but sooner or later, you will have to tell your friends about your dreams." I knew he was right, but how could I explain the past life deal. After dinner, I was off to bed. Rich had stayed up for a while, and then took the second bed I had in my room. If my life wasn't in danger, I would have asked him to stay in another room. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

"So when did St. Marius return, Mommy?" JaNa asked, with a little yawn.   
"Yea, and did he threaten Rich as well, Mommy?" KLar asked, with a bigger yawn. The two were falling asleep, and would probably be asleep by the end of the story.   
"He did return that night, and Jena was not with him. He had a plan, and he was not going to attack me that night. When..." 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

When we woke up and headed for school, I was shocked to see St. Marius talking to Mr.S. As Rich and I hurried in, I felt St. Marius look at me. A chill ran up my back, as those evil eyes seemed to be searching me. When class started, Mr.S said, "Class. St. Marius has returned and brought a message from Jena." He turned the class over to St. Marius and stepped aside.   
St. Marius scanned us with his eyes and said, "Your friend, Jena, wanted you all to know that she is happy with Isis. She cannot wait for everyone in town to join her. But, she wants one person to come see her." He looked at me, and walked down to me. "She wants you to come to see her at your new home. She said that she wanted you to be next to see Isis, and the beautiful world she has prepared for you." He made it sound so nice, but I had seen what he did to Jena. He wanted to kill me. He knew I didn't believe his lies. He then left the school. I was terrified.   
Class appeared to go by too quickly for my liking. Rich and I stayed behind, because I was afraid to leave. As it neared evening, Mr.S walked up to us. "People are going to arrive soon for the meeting. Rich, take Vet home and guard her with your life. If what Vet said is true, then Jena is dead." It appeared that Rich took the blow harded than before when he heard she had left. Rich then nodded, and we were off.   
We hadn't ever reached the first house in town when Marius appeared. We started to back away, back to the school when St. Marius said, "Is something wrong, Vet? Are you afraid of me?"   
Rich pulled out a sword, one that Mr.S gave him to help protect me. He held it between us and St. Marius and said, "What do want? You don't want to save us, do you? And Vet has seen things you didn't want anyone to known about."   
St. Marius' expression changed to a wicked grin. "So she managed to convince one person. After she went, you would have been next, boy. I know that she didn't trust me, and that she saw what happened to Jena, at least the first part. You can think of me as a special type of vampire."   
I was really scared now, and for the first time in my life, my magic abilities appeared. I created Ice on the ground, and St. Marius fell. I then said, "You mean to kill us. To drain us of our blood."   
He got up and was angry. "Not just that, but everything that makes you live. You saw me drain the will out of your friend. After that, it was easy to take care of the rest, but once you two are gone, I will be able to convice this town to follow me to my lair and feast until the end of time." He started to advance on the two of us. He wasn't afraid of the sword that Rich held. He was about to strike when an arrow hit the ground in front of him.   
My father, who was holding the bow, said, "Try that, and the next one goes in your heart." In St. Marius' eyes there was a look of humor, as if he thought that my father could kill him, or if he thought that they were joking.   
He tried to sweet talk them. "I was just going to help..."   
Jena's father finished off the sentance, "yourself to them as you did to my daughter, you monster. My daughter is dead, but we'll be damned if you think we are going to leave ourselves to the same fate."   
St. Marius growled and ran for the exit of town. Some of the people started to follow and I heard him yell, "Rich and Vet, I will get my vengence, and you will both die." For some reason, I wasn't afraid.   
My father walked up to me and said, "You should thank Rich for that loud voice of his."   
Rich looked at him and said, "And you should all thank Vet for see St. Marius for his evil ways." 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

"At that, Rich and I were carried back to town, and treated as heroes for a week." She looked at her children. They were almost asleep. Vet kissed each on the cheek and said, "Good night, my angels." She left the room and headed downstairs. She was surprised by what she saw. Sitting in the room was Rich. She ran over to her friend and gave him a hug.   
Standing in the kitchen was Skiz. He was bringing over some drinks. "Did you get the twins to sleep?"   
Rich looked at me and asked, "Twins?"   
"Yes. They're four years old. You haven't been around for quite a while. I last saw you at the wedding. What have you been doing?"   
"I've been helping Isis, but the solution is temporary." I had a feeling something was wrong. He was upset about something. "Have either of you ever heard of a creature called the Hani?"   
Skiz looked up and said, "I heard that old legend. It is about someone curse to feed of other living beings, drain everything from them." I realized what Skiz just said, I could guess that answer.   
"You mean that..", I said.   
Rich finished my sentence, "St. Marius is a Hani. And only you and I can kill him."   
"I can't go on an adventure now. I have two children to raise."   
Rich looked at me sternly, "Vet, if we don't stop him soon, your children will die at his hands. He had this planned 2000 years ago." St. Marius was that old. I started to wonder how evil he was, and how powerful after being alive for 2000 years.   
My husband looked at us both and demanded, "Why can't I face him? I helped save our world."   
Rich shook his head, "You can't carry the Seven Sword, because of being a monster."   
"Oh, but that doesn't mean I can't help. I can still fight in place of Vet."   
"I wish I could say yes, but the case is that you can't kill St. Marius. Only Vet and I can do it. We are the only two of the four chosen ones that can do this." It was then I realized that my destiny would force me to face my greatest fear.   
I turned to my husband, kissed him and said, "Tell the twins I will return as soon as I can." I nodded to Rich and we left the house to begin our quest. 


	5. The Ancients' Mistake

The Ancients' Mistake   
A Story And Addendum For Memoirs Of The Heroes. (Previously "Memoirs Of An Adventure's Child."))   
(All Characters Are Ficticious And bare no resemblence to living people. Any resemblence to fictional characters is only by chance.)   
===================================================== 

I was more than amazed when I saw who had arrived in the base. It had been 15 years since I last saw Rich and Vet. I know that Vet had gotten married, in fact I was invited to the cerimony, but I was unfortantely kept at my post. When Rich's dad had left in search of the lost ark, holy grail thingie, he came to me and said "Radr, I want you to take over as head of the Guardians." A year later, the main computer had malfunctioned, and the only way to save the base was for me to hardwire myself into the computer. My identity remained intact, but I could never leave the control room. When I saw who had approached the juke box, I instructed the guards to escort them here, as personal guests.   
When they entered, Rich looked at me and said, "Radr, I would have never have guessed that your ego had found a big enough home?"   
I looked at him. Rich was never a joker, but he seemed tense. "Rich, this computer is too big for me. I can't find my ego anymore." He laughed, as well as Vet, but something was troubling them.   
"Radr," Vet said calmly, "we may need your help on a quest."   
"I cannot leave the base, when the computer malfunctioned, I was obligated to save it."   
"We understand," she continued, "but is there any way you can help us, maybe with information."   
"Are you going someplace dangerous?"   
Rich interjected at this point. "Radr, the past fifteen years, the guardians have been search all the areas that the ancients created, finding stuff that we didn't find. Vet and I are about to re-enter the center of the world on a quest that may well save all our lives." The pressure of the quest must have finally gotten to him.   
"Rich, does this have anything to do with the disappearances of people from the guardian base, Edo, and the former city of Venus, as well as Ki's disappearance." Rich and Vet both had a look of shock on their faces. Apparently they knew nothing of Ki's disappearance. "Ki disappeared just this morning. She was starting to open her temple to Isis when a stranged blur appeared. She seemed to be talking with it, and then poof, she disappeared."   
Rich looked at me with an urgent look. "Radr, we must see the video. We need to see it." Vet and Rich looked equally concerned about what they had heard, but Rich was more worried than anyone else.   
"Alright, but I must find it first. You would not believe how many things are stored here in my memory banks." I entered the computer that house all the information they had. It had taken me a few minutes to find the video of the incedent. I loaded it into the main screen and returned to my robot form. "I'll start it up for you, but some of the sound didn't come through." 

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ 

The video started up showing the temple of Isis, just south of town of Isis. Ki had stepped outside and was breathing in the fresh morning air. She looked as young as she did many years ago. As she approached the door of the temple to go inside, a blur approached her. When it got close to the temple, a voice said, "...lo Ki. ..memb.. me."   
Ki spun around in surprise. A look of terror crossed her face, but then her face had a stern calm on it. "You. You have some nerve trying to attack me. You know you can't kill me."   
The blur laughed and said, "..at y.. ...get .. .ou .o l..ger ..ve ..GI .n yo." A look of horror crossed Ki's face again. She started to run into the temple, but the blur grabbed her.   
"No!" Ki screamed, but there was a red flash, and she had disappeared. The blur, although, had appeared larger.   
The voice then said, "Y.. ..ll .elp .e .et ..veng. .n ..ch ..d .et, a. ..ll a. Is.." With that the blur left the area of the temple. 

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ 

I turned to face my two friends. Vet had been leaning on Rich, crying. "He got her. He got her. Why?"   
Rich was holding her, trying to comfort her. "He wants revenge on all of us. Ki was only the first. She kept him from killing Isis, and getting her power. He knows Isis is alive, and he wants her power, no matter what."   
I was confused by this talk. "Who has taken her? Who wants to kill Isis? Who is it that is after you two?"   
Rich looked at me, but his eyes seemed focused far away. "St. Marius is the one. He want to rule all. He wants to enslave us. He wants all the power. He is evil encarnate. He is Hani" A feeling of dread pass through me. If this being is that bad, why just the two of them. I should go along.   
"Rich, I will go along. In this case, I will be more help to you at your side."   
"The only way to kill St. Marius is for a chosen one to strike him a full seven times with a seven sword."   
"Nix that idea. I can't do that, but maybe I can offer you something in return." I returned to the computer and had some machinery appear. Instantaniously, my robot form was altered before everyone's eyes. Minutes later, the machinery disappeared and my robot head was floating about the body. It hovered over to their side and I relayed my voice to it. "This might not be as good as a robot, but it will relay visual images to me, and my voice to you."   
Vet looked at his knew robot form for a moment and said, "And what if it get's destroied, or you can't tell us anything."   
"Then you are on your own, and I am confined to this computer for all eternity." I looked back on that thought. Through all my calculations, I knew that there was balance of everything in the world, the universe, and the dimentions bordering it. I knew that the balance of all was constantly maintained, but it would not be forever. I dreaded the fate that the world of the dead was the only verse that would survive Sherp, the day of destruction, and that the immortal and the cursed were doomed to the void, the endless abyss of eternal torment. Robot's were mortal, but computers were not.   
I was pulled back to reality when Rich said, "Do you have any tools that can help us?" I noticed Rich turned to Vet and say, "He spaced out for five minutes."   
I then remembered all the quests that Isis had the guardians run. She wanted them to find some of the tools of the ancients. I figured that Isis would have use for the items, or to make sure that they were out of evil hands. I turned my attention to my friends and said, "I think I might have some items that will be of help. They were made by the ancients themselves." I returned to the computer and went to the inventory of the vault. Last time I had checked it was a day ago. I was shocked that half the items in the vault had disappeard. This was serious. I had to contact Isis, right away.   
I returned to speak with everyone, calling in my guard. As the guard ran in, I ordered, "Guard, go to the Celestrial Temple, and bring Isis here. Tell her that her people's devices have been stolen." As the guard ran out, I said to my friends, "Rich and Vet, you are my guests. The second Isis arrives, I will contact you." All they could do now was wait for Isis. 

It wasn't until the next morning when Isis arrived. All night, I couldn't help but think that she would blame me for letting those items get stolen. She entered my command room, a little bit flustered, but still she looked calm. She said to me, "Radr, I know it wasn't your fault, but now I must know what was taken, before I talk to anyone else." I displayed the list of items. I knew that three of one item was stolen, and a device that there was only one of was gone as well. She took note of the items and said, "Is Rich and Vet here? I figured they might come her to talk to you about their quest. Rich had told me he was going to see her." There was an urgency in her voice.   
"Yes, Isis, they arrived just yesterday. We figured that there quest has a lot to do with the Hani."   
"They told you about that. At least you still have the MSD." Isis had told me that was a device to allow organic being to enter the Mana Net in the center of the world. "Get them here, as soon as possible, and see if you can send someone to contact Ki. I must see that she is safe." I then realized that Isis didn't know about Ki's fate.   
After I summoned Rich and Vet, I looked at Isis and said, "I think you should see this." I started up the video of Ki's abduction. I could only watch as tears came to Isis' eyes. When it was over, I said, "I'm sorry. If I would have known about the threat, I would have gotten her here quickly, but even some of my guardian have been disappearing, left and right."   
Isis stopped crying and said, "I should have told you. I didn't want to run the risk of Marius getting some of the dangerous devices, but if he is the one who took all these items, then Rich and Vet will need all the help they can get."   
I, as well as Isis, was surprised when Rich said, "You mean to say that the devices have been stolen by St. Marius." Vet started to shudder in fear. I couldn't blame her.   
Isis turned to the two. "Unfortunately, yes. It is with great advantage that he dare not use the 'Mistake'"   
Vet had a look of confusion on her face. I had to agree that I was confused as well. Vet then asked, "What is the 'Mistake'?"   
Isis sat down and then said, "It is the worse of all the Ancient's devices. When my people were in their last days, I was told were the device was hidden. I was told never to use it no matter what. You see I was only a little goddess back then. It all started when ...." 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

My father had been called to talk with PyOn, the inventor. I had wanted to see PyOn's lab and my father took me to see it. I was very happy that day. As we approached, I notice that there were others of the God consulate there. There was Headt, the keeper of the final passage, Roturet, the punisher of the wicked, Sendog, the goddess of reward, as well as my father, File, the manager of the life gate. PyOn said as my father arrived, "Sir, I have completed the device that Roturet had requested." I looked at the device and saw a clock in the center. On four sides, there were these metal balls, and on top was a red button. PyOn then said, "I thought it would be best if you all saw it." Roturet had looked upset with PyOn.   
"What did you request, Roturet? I was not informed of this until now." My father was very upset with Roturet. My father never got this upset, as far as I could remember.   
Roturet turned to my father and said in his raspy voice, "I have been in charge of punishing the wicked in the worlds that our people had established, but the people have gotten to wicked. I have asked PyOn to create this device from the legends."   
Headt looked at Roturet and said, "You asked him to created the 'TimeBomb'. That device is suppose to bring the end of the world. You fool, do you know what means."   
"The end of the wicked."   
My father then said, "It means the end of us all. According to legend, the 'TimeBomb' was supposed to travel back in time to the point of creation, taking all immortals and cursed with it."   
"I didn't not ask PyOn to create that. I just asked him for the device of the legends."   
PyOn then said, "This is the device of the legends. I was going to ask you about it when you requested it, but I was afraid of your temper."   
Roturet was upset and exploded in a fit of anger. "You have made a fool out of me. I shall make you pay for that." Just as Roturet started to chant, Sendog jump in between the two.   
In her heavenly voice, she said, "I will not let this man be punished for him telling us about this. He should be rewards for his warning."   
I watched as the two argued. Finally, my father shouted so loud that other dimension stopped moving. "Enough, PyOn, you will no longer need to invent things for us, for you can rest. Headt, take him to the final passage. That shall be his reward, for it will be better than anything you do to him, Roturet. But now, what do we do about the device."   
As they argued about the device, I looked at it some more. I remembered the legends of the Timebomb. Once built, it could not be destroied by any means but itself. When activated, it hurled itself to the moment of creation, when Redor and Shoac were to kill each other. The legend then said that their infinite power would be contained and shattered into tiny particles that there was one positive force for every negative force. One world would result of this, and the immortal and cursed were doomed as lifeless cores. It was agreed that if the device was ever created, then all the ancients would leave, but one, who must protect the device. I looked at my father and said, "Dad, why don't we seal it in the dungeon of Hani, and leave Rognog to protect it."   
My father picked me up and said, "Isis, that is so simple it is brilliant. But that means you will have to stay here. You know that pet of yours will follow you into the final passage if you go." He was right, but I didn't care. How hard would it be to guard the device.   
After a few day, my father and the others returned and said, "Isis, It has been sealed on the hundreth level of the dungeon. Rognog will stay there, and that part of the cave has been sealed off, at the tenth floor. Take care my daughter, I shall see you when you join us." 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

"They still wait to this day, and I guarded the 'Mistake' until this day. When Marius attacked, I took the secret with me into the Magi. Now, I hope he has the device, so you must retrieve it."   
I watched as Rich looked at her and said, "We shall keep the device from activation, Isis." I could help but try and mention what else had been taken.   
"Rich, some of the other devices take were three of Roturet's devices." I notice the look on Rich and Vet's faces. They remembered what Roturet's job was from the story.   
Isis then said, "He was a nessary evil, for he punished the evil to save their souls. I know that must be hard to understand, but the souls needed to be clensed. When the evils were confessed, Sendog rewarded them with everlasting peace in the afterlife. Before any ancient, or person died, they were transported to the consulate. My father was judge of their path. In the begining, few met Roturet, but as time changed, that changed."   
I continued by saying, "He had four devices for that. One was a helmet that caused all ones mana abilities to attack them. The attacks were all lethal, but never killed the victims. The second was a robot that fed off an opponents strength and attacked at their weaknesses. The third was like the parasuit, for it covered the whole body. That was were the similarities ended. The suit was alive, and it acted like a constrictor. The last was a set of glasses. They allowed the victim to only see their worse nightmares. If they tried to take them off, they suffered pain so great that they had to put them back on. All but the last were stolen."   
Vet looked at me and said, "But how can we stop that."   
Isis said, "By trusting your eyes to things. Do not trust people, for three HoloHelmets were taken. They make the bearer look like anyone."   
Rich then shuddered and said, "You mean that St. Marius could disguise himself as my parents."   
"Maybe, but you must get to his castle," Isis said with forcefulness. "With Ki's capture, he has enough power in him to keep him from the abyss for a month. His castle is in the Mana Net, so you will need the Mana Shifting Device. It will allow you to go off the paths of the center of the world. Also, take the Zonehome with you. To the outside, it is invisable, but it has unlimited uses. You can rest in there."   
Rich and Vet nodded. I told the guard to recover the items from the vault. As the guard was about to leave for the items, Isis said to Rich, Vet, and my robot head, "There is one person I want you take with you. She will be a great help to you. Her name is Li. Ki was her sister and I think she would want to help."   
Rich looked at Isis wide eyed and said, "Li, that is the innkeeper in the town were I live. She was the one who stopped St. Marius from killing us on our quest for the Magi." This was the first I heard about that.   
"Yes. Marius knew the connection even then. He hoped that with her capture, Ki would give him the Magi, and he could then kill her. Li proved to be very resourceful. Besides, if you don't take her with you, she will die tomorrow. Get her, come to the temple and I will give you santuary until your quest." Rich nodded, Vet bowwed, and I tipped my head as Isis disappeared. When we had the stuff, we left the base. 

It took us half a day to reach the final town. Rich led the way into the Inn. Li was standing at her desk as she usually did. Her eyes lighted up when she saw Rich. She leapt over the counter and ran over to him, embracing him with a hug. "Rich, I've missed you. I was just going to write my sister and tell her the news."   
Vet and I looked at the two in confusion. "What news?" we asked in unison.   
Rich then looked at the two of us and said, "I should have said this before, but I let it slip my mind. After I talked with Isis about the Seven Sword and the Hani, Li and I started talking about that night, and how she kept the encounter quiet. We talked some more, and soon, well, we fell in love. After helping Isis everyday, I returned here. We had a nice dinner, relaxed infront of the fire, and talked. Before I left to talk to you, Vet, I told her of the quest I was going on, and I said that if I got back, I wanted her as my wife."   
Vet had a smile cross her face and said, "I told you that you would find someone to replace Jena. You were so upset to hear that she was probably dead."   
I then said, "And now, Li is coming with us."   
Li looked at us and said "Why?"   
Rich took her by the arms and sat her down. "Li, I don't know how to tell you this, but it is about Ki."   
Li looked into Rich's eyes with a scared look. "How did you know Ki was my sister?"   
Rich continued, "Isis told us, my love. But yesterday, Ki was captured and is probably dead, or worse."   
Li started to become frantic. "What's wrong with my sister?"   
I could see Rich was trying to say this calmly, but Ki had affected all of our lives. Even in my robot head, I didn't want to say anything about it. Rich finished by saying, "The Hani took your sister, and Isis, as well as myself, are arfraid that he will take you when we enter the Mana Net."   
A stern look was in her eyes. She then stood up and said, "Let me get my weapons. I want to avenge my sisters death." I watched as she ran to the back. I had to say this. She was a perfect match for Rich. 

The Beginning ???? 


	6. Faces Of The Past

Faces Of The Past   
A Story And Addendum For Memoirs Of The Heroes. (Previously "Memoirs Of An Adventure's   
Child."))   
(All Characters Are Ficticious And bare no resemblence to living people. Any resemblence to fictional characters is only by chance.)   
===================================================== 

As I awakened from my robotic slumber, I saw Isis looking at me. She had a look of concern on her face. Last night, Rich, Vet, Li and myself arrived at the temple, and she brought us to her sanctuary. Everyone else was still asleep, and Isis said quietly, "Radr, I do not know if the Mana Net is going to accept you. You are not of ancient creation, cursed, or a living being. Robots are totally different from all other beings in creation. They have no biological parts in them."   
Softly, I said, "What would happen if the net rejects me?" I was worried about what she was impling. It was my deepest fear in the entire world. Computers are immortal, robots are not.   
"If you are rejected by the Mana Net, your body will be transformed into mana and energy for the Mana Net. Since you are bound to the computer at the base, your soul will become immortal. Your robot body will be destroied." Isis probably knew that she had worried me, but I don't know if she understood my fear. I floated off the place where I was resting. I was about to ask Isis if she knew if I was afraid of that, but she then woke the others. I didn't want to say anything in front of them. Isis then said, "I want to tell you that when you hit the Mana Net, there is a slim chance that Radr might not be able to help you."   
I watched as Rich and Vet made a gasp in disbelief. Li then said, "Are you say that Radr might not survive entering the Mana Net?" I had only meet her yesterday, and we learned that she and Rich were going to marry.   
Isis said, "No. I am saying that his robot form might not survive. Now, we do not have much time to get you down to the most direct route to the Mana Castle." It was then that my computer connection had informed me of something. After Ki's abduction, I started to monitors Li's inn.   
"St. Marius has just tried to attack the inn. He is heading back to the Mana Net." He saw the look on Li's face as she realized how much danger she was in.   
Li's look turned into defiance. "I will not let that monster kill me," she shouted. Rich walked over to her side and whispered something into her ear. She calmed down after that. It was obvious that Rich had known how to calm Li down when she got upset.   
Rich then said, "Isis, will St. Marius know that we are coming to get him?" Rich knew the risks that he was taking.   
Isis looked at him and said, "Most likely, you have grabbed Marius' attention with all of the Haniwa that you have slained."   
Vet spoke softly as she said, "And he still wants to kill us for stopping him all those years ago." She started to shake in fear. Vet had the most to fear from St. Marius, according to Rich. She had known how evil he was when he came to the hometown.   
Isis then said, "Yes, but nobody will be safe in less than a year's time. The Haniwa's damage to the Arsenal has started to increase. In less than a year's time, the Arsenal will expand the Mana Net into the realms. Marius must be stopped now." With that, we all nodded and Isis led us out of her santuary.   
We followed her into the Celestrial Temple and to the Elevator. When we reached the center of the world and the great Mana Net, the walkways to the Arsenal units were packed with Haniwa. Their destorted faces turned to us and they started to charge us. Rich and Li pulled out two Hyper Cannons and fired at the attackers. As the Haniwa approached, the two blasts eradicated all but the last four. Vet casted a flare spell, a natural flare spell, and the four Haniwa fell in a puff of flame. We had to move quick to reach the area the Arsenal Units were at. As we ran, Rich and Vet grabbed every Seven Sword on the ground. By the time we reached the Arsenal Units, the group had collected about 30 Seven Swords.   
I looked at the Arsenal Units and said, "Isis, could we take a vital part of the Arsenal Units and keep it with us?"   
Isis looked at me and said, "That could work, but two people should carry the parts." Rich and Vet ran to the machines and yanked out the same part from both machines. Isis saw the parts that they had removed. "Good choice. Those are the parts that controls all the weapons. The computers will not detect the weapons. Hold onto them, for if Marius gets them, we are all doomed." Rich and Vet nodded.   
Rich then turned to all of us and said, "It's time. Let's get the MSD's set up." Isis did her best to keep and Haniwa away from us. Some managed to breakthrough and Li elimated them with a Missle unit. Some of them dropped Seven swords, and by the time the MSD units were set up, there was another 20 added to the inventory. It was now that the unit was activated. Rich looked at all of us and said, "Let's go." Rich ran through the portal that appeared first, followed by Li. Vet followed, and then it was my turn.   
As I entered the Mana Net, I felt strange. I could hear Rich say, "There's the castle, about half a day's journey." I looked at it and could tell every detail about it. I could see the size of the castle. It was over 30 floors in size. I could even tell that it was a complete maze inside. How could I tell all this? It wasn't until Rich said, "Radr, what's happening to you?" that I realized that the Mana Net was rejecting me. I tried to communicate my problem, but couldn't answer. My vocal connection had been cut. My form had dispersed all over the Mana Net. I was aware of what was happening, but I could not offer any help. It was then that my soul transended that of a mortal to that of an immortal.   
Vet was in shock and I heard Li say, "Rich, we better rest abit before we try to go to the castle. I don't think that Vet will make it right now." Rich nodded and set up the Zonehome. I could sense it there, even tell its interior design. The place was like a pocket dimension. As the three entered the device. I decided to scan the area. 

It was a couple of hours later. My form had dispersed more, and I was getting weaker in the Mana Net. I scanned the castle again, and eventually I had found St. Marius. He had gathered three of the Haniwa to his chamber. He was placing something like helmets on them. I recognized them as the HoloHelmets, and in the corner of the room, I saw the three devices that Roturet had used. St. Marius looked at the three Haniwa and said, "You three will capture the invaders, so that the plan can succeed." He reached over to the first. I swear that it still had some life in its shell. St. Marius looked in its eyes. A small spark of Red, Green, and Blue jumped between them, and the Hani made a sound of satisfaction. He then said, "You will capture your sister."   
He activated the Helmet and that Haniwa transformed into Ki. He had already taken control of her. She looked at him and said, "Yes, my master. All shall serve you. All shall feed you."   
St. Marius turned to the second shell and said, "I shall leave Rich to you. One never forgets the ones that they love." He laughed out loud and I could only think of one person I only heard mentioned in passing. The girl known as Jena. That was Rich's first love, except they never had a chance to ask each other out, but Vet had told me that Jena felt the same for Rich.   
St. Marius activate the Helmet and that Haniwa transformed into Jena, as she would look at the age that Rich was. She had a figure that reminded me of Venus, the evil goddess of beauty. I thought of much trouble that Li and Rich were in. Li was going to see her sister, and be betrayed by her, and Rich was going to be immobilized by seeing his lost love. As the Jena/Haniwa faced her master, she said, "I shall capture the treat to our existance."   
St. Marius turned to the last Haniwa and said, "It took me years to find you amongst all my followers. You were one of the most tasteful beings whose will, soul, and essence I have feasted on. You are my key to Vet, and I must say, I have taken a liking to her. I could use a bride, and her powers will keep her alive, as my slave, or bride, for millenia."   
He activated the device and the third Haniwa transformed into a woman. I couldn't make out who she was, for I had never seen her before in my life. She walked over to St. Marius and said, "I shall do what you ask, Master."   
He then said, "Go to the first junction of the maze, and each take a path. I shall arrange the three to be seperated." I then heard his evil laugh echo through out my mind. Vet was in more trouble than Rich and Li were in, but who could effect Vet in such a way, to make her fall into his trap. 

As my form became more scattered amongst the Mana Net, I had trouble locating my friends. It took me hours to locate the Zonehome, and another hour to find the entrance. Inside, I could see Vet, Rich, and Li talking. I could only feel helpless, for I knew they were going to walk into a trap. Vet still appeared a bit shocked. She then spoke, "I still can't believe it. Radr is gone."   
Rich looked at her and said, "I think he is still around. After we defeat St. Marius, we shall go to the guardian base and work on building a new robot body for Radr. I think we can give him his mortality back."   
Li just shook her head. She then said, "When my sister, Ki, was studying about the ancients, she told me that computers were immortal. The only way an immortal would avoid Sherp would to pass into the final passage. The cursed could never reach this passage, and computers could not be moved. Now that Radr is confined to the computer, he can never reach the final passage." I had to admit, my hope was almost all shattered. It was also believed that St. Marius had the 'Mistake', but then I realized something, I did not sense it in the Mana Net, which meant only one thing. St. Marius did not steal it, but if St. Marius didn't steal it, who did?   
Rich then said, "Well, we can tell him we will try, I don't want him to feel it's hopeless."   
Vet then said, "But won't that hurt worse. I mean, he knew the risks and you are trying to promise him something that you cannot give him." She understood what I was thinking, but how?   
Rich turned to her, almost ashamed. "Like when were going to find your mother. You didn't know that she was dead. I'm sorry, it is like that. You were told that your mother went on a trip, and one day, you were going to find her. That was when you father told you the truth." She nodded.   
Li looked at Rich and said, "What happened?"   
Rich turned to Li and said, "She literally hated her father. She wouldn't talk to him for days. I finally told her that he did that to protect her, but she still hated him for that. The anger almost disappeared, but it is still there." Rich then looked out the window. If I could have talked, I would have told him about the trap, but I couldn't even tell them what had happened to me. Rich said, "The path to the castle is clear. There is not a single Haniwa in the way."   
Vet stood up and said, "Let's go. If we wait any longer, St. Marius will be on us before we can even attack him." She didn't know what he had planned, if only I could warn them. Rich and Li had nodded and they left the Zonehome.   
It did not take them long to make a run for the castle. Without any Haniwa guarding the way, it had been easy for my friends to reach the castle. When they arrived, Rich said, "This is too easy. I think St. Marius knows that we're here."   
I saw Vet start to shudder again. For all her years, and all that she had seen, Vet was still afraid of St. Marius. She then said, "We can't let Marius win. He will pay for all he has done, and we will keep him from killing everyone." She was less scared than she was before. I then watched as the three entered St. Marius' castle. As they traveled down the first hallway, I knew that they were walking into the trap. Vet then said, "I wish Radr was still around, then he could tell us what path to take."   
Li nodded as the three entered a room with three paths to take. She started to walk to the eastern door and said, "Maybe we should all stick together. If we get seperated, we might get caught easily." I noticed that Rich was looking at the western door, and Vet was looking at the northern door. All of a sudden, the door they all came in closed with a thud. They all turned and ran for the door, each running into a magical wall. Li shouted, "It was a trap. He has seperated us."   
Rich looked at his friends and said, "Don't fret. We will find a way to get back together. Just be careful." Rich and the others had no idea what Marius had planned. 

Rich continued down the westren path. As he continued down that path, I noticed that Rich was coming to a room with no exits, unless they were hidden. Rich looked around the room and said, "Man, there has to be a hidden exit in this room somewhere." I watched as he started to search the walls, testing for a weak spot.   
He jumped in fright when someone called his name, "Rich, it is you, isn't it? I knew you would come to rescue me." I watch Rich turn and gasp. It was the Jena/Haniwa.   
Rich was caught short on words and finally said, "Jena, is it really you?"   
The girl lied and said, "Yes, I managed to escape from that man, but I couldn't leave this world. I've been hiding in this temple ever since. Please, help me."   
I saw the tears welling up on Rich's face. He could never forget her, but he had thought she was dead. He was right, but I couldn't tell him that she was a Haniwa. He ran over and hugged her. "I can't believe that your still alive, I didn't think it was possible after Vet told me what she saw."   
The Jena/Haniwa returned the hug and said, "Vet just wanted you all to herself. She was afraid that I would take you from her. She wanted to be your girlfriend." I then noticed that the Jena/Haniwa was tightning her grip.   
Rich had lossened his grip and he had realized that she was lying. "You aren't Jena," were the only words he managed to say when he collapsed. The Jena/Haniwa just looked at him vacantly and release her grip. Rich fell to the floor, like a wet rag.   
St. Marius entered the room and told the Haniwa, "Take him to the dungeon, and leave him his weapons." He leaned over the form and picked up something from Rich's body. The unit that Rich had taken from the Arsenal. I then watched as the Haniwa picked Rich up and they left the room. 

I found Li at another room. She too had started looking for a way out of the dead-end room. Just as she had given up, I heard a familiar voice say, "Sister." Li turned around and saw Ki stand at the door.   
Li started to walk to her and then stopped. "You can't be my sister. St. Marius killed you."   
The Ki/Haniwa lied, as did the Jena/Haniwa. "He can't kill me, little sister. Isis had always protected me. When he got me here, I fought him off and escaped. He probably tried to capture you this morning."   
Li appeared to be believing what her attacker was saying. "How do you know he tried to attack me?"   
"He would do anything to make me give in to him. Since Isis is still gone, he need her power to win, the power I have in me." The Haniwa had said the wrong thing, for Li realized it was a trap for she attacked the Ki/Haniwa with a vengence.   
Almost instantly, Li threw a grenade and ran back, to not be caught in the blast. The Ki/Haniwa caught it and threw it right back at her with such speed, that I couldn't process the information in the main computer of the guardian base fast enough. The blast, and then the thud as Li hit the ground, unconscious. St. Marius entered the room and said, "Take her to the Dungeon. Remove her weapons, her armor, and put her in the suit. Give the key to the suit to the robot." The Haniwa nodded and picked Li up, and the two left the room. I then realized what was going to happen. St. Marius was going to crush the resistance out of Li, have Rich fight to exhaustion against the robot, and use Vet's own magic against her. 

I had to find Vet, and somehow warn her. The first was easy, for she was working her way through the tunnels, launching a fireball down the halls every five feet. It was her least powerful spell, but I admired her quick attacks with it, although they hit nothing. I judged how much time I had left of sentience in the Mana Net, and it would be shortened drastically if I tired a message, or two. My first attempt caught her attention, for electric pulses formed in the wall. My second attempt proved that I had gotten through, but not all I could tell her. I had succeeded when she read the message.   
"Vet, " she said, "Rich and Li captured. Danger. Careful. Radr." She sighed and said, "Thank you, Radr. I don't know how you know, but I wish you tell me how they were caught."   
As she finished speaking, I voice came from the room ahead. It said, "Vet, is that you?" Vet's eyes had gone wide and she ran for the room. As she entered the room, she looked at the woman crouched in the corner. I recognized her, for she was the third Haniwa. But Vet regonized her too, for there were tears in her eyes.   
Vet said in a shaky voice, "Mama." She ran over and hugged the Haniwa, unaware of the trap. "I thought you were dead. Papa said you were dead."   
"I thought I was to, but I was attacked and brought here. I would have been dead, except this man saved me and said that we would be patient and hide until the chosen ones would save us," she lied, and Vet was eating up every word of it.   
Vet looked at the creature, still seeing her mother and said, "Who saved you?"   
"I did!" Vet turned in fear and realized that she had fallen into the trap that St. Marius had set for her. She was staring right at him. He started to walk forward to her. "Don't even think off using the Seven Sword, child."   
Vet tried pull out the Seven Sword, because she was not going to die at his hands. I then watched as her mother/Haniwa attacked her from behind. Vet turned, and didn't stop the attack. I could see that she couldn't bring herself to hurt her mother, even if she was dead. The Haniwa said, "Don't you dare question your mother, or threaten anyone." Vet was knocked straight onto the floor cold by the Haniwa.   
St. Marius leaned over Vet's head and removed her helmet, replacing it with the helmet that Roturet had used. He then retrieved the device from her, and said to the Haniwa, "Take her up to my throne room. Her power, which she has yet to use, will be mine, willing, or as a slave." The Haniwa nodded, and took Vet out of the room. My consciousness was unable to contact the Mana Net, as I returned to my computer form. The last thing I heard was St. Marius laughing in delight. At that moment, I believed that all was lost. 

To be continued???? 


	7. Reward For Pain

Reward For Pain   
A Story And Addendum For Memoirs Of The Heroes. (Previously "Memoirs Of An Adventure's Child."))   
(All Characters Are Ficticious And bare no resemblence to living people. Any resemblence to fictional characters is only by chance.)   
===================================================== 

When I awoke, I still felt the pain that I had experenced from the Haniwa that looked like Jena. I looked around and saw that I was still in the castle, but in a huge room. I started to wonder if this was St. Marius' throne room, but the lack of furnishings told me it was not. It was then I noticed that my weapons were still with me, as well as my armor. I started to wonder if St. Marius had become so confident with his plan that he didn't fear us anymore. I then noticed that the arsenal part was gone. He must have taken it. I hoped that he had not gotten Vet, or Li. I hoped that they were safe, but for some reason, I couldn't help but think that I was hoping for too much.   
My concentration was broken when I noticed a door opened. It was a large door and then I saw St. Marius. He came out into the area where I was. There was a smile on his face. He stepped away from the door and I saw Li, chained to the wall. She seemed to be covered in full body armor. St. Marius turned to me and said, "Well, boy, you have made yourself a real nuisance. You have killed many of my Haniwa, but luckily I still had Jena. You were your own trap. One never forgets the first person they fall in love with. But, I am prepared to offer you a deal."   
A deal with the devil, I had always learned, was a dangerous thing. I looked at St. Marius and said, "What do you want?" I figured I would play along until he let his guard down, and then strike him so fast he would collapse.   
He looked at me and said, "I know that you will not surrender without a fight, so all you have to do is defeat me, and Li will be free." He seemed to eager to fight me. He knew something, or was up to something.   
I stood and drew the Seven Sword. He had something planned and I was not going to let him get away with it, and I knew that he want revenge on Vet and myself. "What about Vet? I'm not leaving here without her."   
"If you want her to live, you must surrender for I have her guarded by my Haniwa, especially the one that used to be her mother. That one has been ordered to kill her if I die. As for Li, she might not be so lucky to live through our fight." I watched as St. Marius pushed a button on what looked like a key. All of a sudden, the room filled with a scream and I saw Li in agony. I realized that she was wearing the one device of Roturet. "Eventually, she will submit and beg me to feast on her existence. At that time, the Haniwa will take her to the feeding chamber. If I die, she will be carved up into small pieces then." He smiled and then said, "So boy, which is, surrender or fight."   
He knew the answer, but I said it anyway, "I will make sure that you threaten no one ever again." With that I charged him with the Seven Sword. Just as I went to strike, he held up a sword and stopped the strike, but his sword took the blow. He then struck me, in my left leg. I had left it unguarded and fell to the floor. I scrambled away from St. Marius. I thought why the Seven Sword didn't hurt him, and how he was able to stop it.   
"Boy, you cannot harm me. I am invincible, you must submit. You will never survive." He was right. Every attack he made was lethal, but for some reason, I was still alive. I couldn't figure it out. As the fight continued, I had gone through ten Seven Swords, and still couldn't hit him, and when I managed to hit him, he hit the sword with such a force that it broke the sword. St. Marius knew what I was going to do before I even did it.   
I looked him in the eye, and even thought Li was still screaming, I said, "I will defeat you before harm can befall my friends." I tried to run to her, but St. Marius took a slash at my right leg, knocking me down in pain. For once, I watched the wound and saw it healed instantly. After all the fighting, I was slowly starting to tire and I realized the truth. I pulled out the Revenge Sword and slowly advanced towards St. Marius. It was the first time I was going to try this, but it was worth a try, for if I failed I feared I would have to submit.   
I started to jump toward St. Marius when I heard Li shout, "Please stop. I can't take it anymore. I submit." Out of the corner of my eyes, I saw the Haniwa enter the room, and approach Li. St. Marius let out a laugh and slashed at my throat. As the blade crossed my throat, I slashed at St. Marius with the Revenge sword. St. Marius' head went flying off, and as I suspected, it wasn't St. Marius, but the robot, and it was wearing a HoloHelmet. I had to work quick. I searched for the key to the suit and watched. The Haniwa were marching her helpless body down a hallway. She was still screaming, begging for the pain to stop. I found the key and ran after them, but with the Xcalabur drawn. I took care of this sword, since it was my luckiest.   
With a scream of rage I took out each Haniwa and saved Li. From the last I slayed, I receive a Seven Sword, but the fourth in the group ran. I ran to Li's side and searched the suit for the keyhole, so I could deactivate the suit. After a frantic search, and trying to keep Li from injuring me, I found the keyhole right at her neck. I inserted and turned the key. Instantly, she gasped a sigh of relief. Her torment, her pain was over, as was mine. Li looked at me and hugged me. I returned the hug and I could tell that she was greatful, due to the force of the hug. She didn't want to let go, but I said, "We have to continue, my love, for everyone's sake, and most importantly, Vet's. She must be in terrible danger."   
She nodded and then tightened her grip. It was fear that was in her grip, as St. Marius' image appeared. His voice seemed to echo through the hall. "With Ki's energy, I have regained some of my Mana abilities. Although I have yet to awaken all of my lost Mana abilities, but Vet will give me the power I need. I am surprised that you figured out that it was the robot you were fighting."   
I looked at the image and said, "She will never give in to you. She knows what you are, and she will do everything in her power to stop you."   
The image looked at me and laughed. "She doesn't even know the extent of her powers. She, as well as yourself and your friends, are special mortals. Ki had never the chance to obtain the power Vet has now. Soon my lost Mana will be regained, and I shall have all my power returned to me." With that the image disappeared, and Li was sobbing.   
I looked at her and said, "We won't let him win. He has to get through us before he can get her."   
Li looked at me through tear filled eyes. "But he already has her. He had me begging to be his slave. He must have something like that planned for her." I had feared that St. Marius would be telling Vet that we had submitted, that we were now his slaves. I then thought of a worse fate for Vet. St. Marius might be trying to make her his bride, but I couldn't tell Li this. I then noticed that the suit Li had on had started to slip, as if it was no longer in contact with her body. She grabbed at the collar and said, "I think we better find my stuff. I just noticed that I am wearing just this cursed outfit."   
I looked at her and nodded. I then said, "I think I saw a chest in the room where you were chained up." We walked back there, due to the fact that if we ran, the suit would have fallen from her and that would have been embaressing for her. We reached the room and found the chest. In it was her armor and her weapons.   
Li looked at me and said, "Could you guard the door, love, we aren't married yet." My father had always taught me to be a gentleman, so I went to the door. I looked out as I heard her changing. I thought about what our life was going to be together. I felt that we would succeed in stopping St. Marius. I couldn't help but think that after this was all over, I could live a normal life for a while. I thought of what Vet was risking as she left her husband and children to save their lives. I had lost touch with them, but I had realized how much had changed for her over the time. She, out of all of us still left, had risked the most.   
With my eyes forward, I said to Li, "Vet had the most to lose out of all of us. She was risking returning to her family to stop St. Marius. She knew that he was evil and would not even fall for his tricks. How could he have caught her?" I felt a hand touch my shoulder. I turned my head to see Li standing at my side.   
Li had a tear at her eye as she said, "The same way he caught us, but who would have such an impact on her. You told me about Jena when we started courting, but who else could affect and pull her into a trap."   
It hit me like a bolt from the blue. "Her mother. Vet's mother had disappeared, died when she was young. I'd bet any amount of gold that St. Marius kidnapped her mother. I bet that the Haniwa that caught each of us was that person in real life."   
"You mean to say that Ki is now his slave." Li's eyes started to fill with tears again.   
I looked her in the eyes and said, "Yes, and the only way to save her is to kill St. Marius, for then she can rest."   
Li looked at me and then said, "Then we better find him, and quickly, for Vet's sake." I nodded and we ran into the maze of the castle. 

After an hour, we still hadn't found the right path, or even the way out of the part of the castle that St. Marius dubbed the dungeon. I was almost frantic, as was Li, until I heard a voice. My first thought was that St. Marius was trying to trick me, but then I realized that the voice was Vet's. "Rich, I don't know if you can hear this. I don't know if you are still alive. St. Marius tells me you and Li are his slaves now, but I can't be sure. He has Roturet helmet on me. He's using my abilities on me. He keeps saying that he won't kill me, unless I don't give in. He says that if I want my children to survive, I must marry him. I'm scared, Rich. I hope you can find me. He says that I haven't even reached my full abilities. I don't know what he means. He just started using the helmet on me. He has used ESP on me. I was so confused that I almost gave in. I wish I could tell you where I am. If Li is anything like Ki, she can see the way. Rich, please help me. I want to see my children again. I want... He's looking at me. He's going to do something." At that, I heard her scream in pain. I didn't know she could communicate via a mental link. I then heard her say, "The pain, my body is on fire. Help me. Stop him, Rich. I'll hold out, but he said that if I don't give in by the time he uses the Flare, he's going to enslave me." Her voice left me, and I could tell that she was in complete pain. Apparently, he only used the Fire on her. If I remembered right, that was a low powered ability.   
I turned to Li and said, "St. Marius is wasting no time in trying to control her. He has told her that we are his. She thinks he's lying, but she told me that she is afraid that he speaks the truth. She said all this telepathically. I didn't know that she could do that."   
Li looked at me and said, "How old is she?"   
I had to think for a moment. "Vet is about 30. Why?"   
"Even for a mutant, the Mana to do Telepath is way over her head. Normally, only mutants about 100 can do that. I should have noticed that before, since she used Flare, which normally doesn't surface unless one is 50. Maybe because she is a chosen one that allows for this, but most mutants never reach full abilities until age 1000, but no mutant has ever reached that age. She must have a hightened rate of evolution. She is a super-mutant." Li's face went pale. Something scared her.   
I grabbed her shoulders and said, "What's wrong, Li? What has you spooked now?"   
Li looked at me though vacant eyes and said, "A prophecy. 'When the first of excelled mana bears children, good and evil will begin. On the day of independence's door, the angels will soar. One whose will is right, one who is a symbol of the night. On that day, one parent will die, the night at their side.' If Vet survives this quest, she might die, if she had twins." My eyes went wide at that moment. In that breif moment, I thought about just leaving the Vet to St. Marius, for she would die upset if it were by her child's hand, but then I realized that it might not be Vet, but Skiz.   
I looked in Li's eyes and said, "I hope that the prophecy can be avoided. But now, Vet said that you can see the way." I wondered if that had anything to do with the Mana abilities that Ki and Li probably had.   
Li nodded and said, "I think I know what she is talking about." All of a sudden there was a red haze covering her eyes and she said, "Follow me, and have your weapons ready. There will be a couple Haniwa waiting, one per intersection. We should get to Vet and St. Marius in no time." At that she took off, and I followed. We had to find Vet, and save her from the years of imprisonment. 

We had taken out about fifty Haniwa by the time we reached the doorway to St. Marius' throne room. I had picked up about five more Seven Swords, and we watched from the door. He was walking over to Vet and loomed over her. I heard him say, "Give in, Vet. I promise not to kill you. I have taken a liking to you. Your power will give me all I need to control the world. As you know, I will spare the lives of your children."   
Vet had tear running down her cheeks. It was obvious that she was still in pain. We heard her screams as we neared the room. She looked at him and said, "I won't ever give in to you. I rather be killed than be your bride. You will kill my husband if I promise to serve you." She then screamed in pain. I could understand why. St. Marius had pushed a button on a device in his hand. I watched as a servere frost covered her body. I remembered the sight of the monsters that we fought, who she used that spell on. As the ice melted, she was shivering in pain.   
St. Marius turned to face her and said, "Do you submit, Vet? There is only one spell left to use. You can image what that will do. If you don't give in after that, I shall steal all that makes you live." He was about to touch the button, and I decided to strike. He still had his back to me and I charged him, and with the Seven Sword, I slashed his left arm. He dropped the device and spun around. He faced me and said, "You! I figured that you would have never have reached her." I noticed that the blood from the wound was red, green and blue.   
"Your reign of terror is over, St. Marius. You will die today." I had pulled out a second Seven Sword to confuse him. He didn't know which had hit him. I swung with both. He blocked the one I had just pulled out, and his right arm got sliced by the one I had used. St. Marius screamed in pain.   
He looked at me and said, "Haniwa, get him." At once, his followeres started to advance. Li had chosen that time to jump into the battle and attack. She kept the Haniwa busy. I struck again at St. Marius while he was giving the order, cutting his left leg. I spun quickly and switched the swords.   
I looked at St. Marius and he was charging me. He gave me a kick that knocked the sword out of my left hand. As I spun, I sliced his right side with the Seven Sword I had been using. I jumped back and said, "Your terror is at an end. You will die, Hani." I had hit him four times. I spun around again and pulled out another Seven Sword.   
He started to advance carefully. He said, "Child, you will fail. You will never have the chance to deliver the final blow." He was trying to make me lose confidence in myself. I noticed that Li had managed to run over to Vet. For the first time, I noticed that Vet was chained to the wall. Li was managing to set her free. St. Marius heard the chains being release and spun to see what was happening. In that time, I took two more swings, one to the neck, one the back. I almost had the last shot, but St. Marius swung around and hit me, knocking the Seven Sword out of my hand and onto the floor. The other was useless, cause the force of his swing broke it. He grabbed me by my throat and lifted me into the air.   
Li had run over and hit him in the back of the head. "Let him go, you monster." He reached around and grabbed her by her hair. She screamed in agony and I heard St. Marius laugh.   
"You children don't understand. I am going to control all, and you cannot stop me. Vet, when they join me, they will hold you while I drain the power from you. I will be the master of all." I couldn't see Vet, but I hoped that she was going to do something, because soon, Li and I would become his next meal, and servents.   
I heard the sound of chains in front of me, and then Vet said, "Not this lifetime!" Then, a splash of red, green, and blue came from St. Marius' body. His eyes went wide as the last thing he did was look at the sword through what used to be his heart. He dropped us and collapsed. Vet had delivered the final blow, the one that killed St. Marius.   
Before his evil corpse disappeared, St. Marius said in a raspy voice, "I will return." We knew he wouldn't. His death sent him to the void, and all his followers crumbled into dust. We had succeeded. The was a flash of light from the Seven Sword. When we faced it, there was an image there. It appeared to be that of one of the two beings from the beginning.   
"My chosen warriors." It said, and then I knew that it was Redor. "Thank you for stopping the first incarnation of Shaoc. He may already have used the energy to transfer his essence to his second incarnation, but his third incarnation is in hiding. That is who took the 'Timebomb'. You have saved the world, for now. The third incarnation is not a threat yet, but you will know when the second incarnation appears." With that, Redor disappeared from sight. I then knew that what we faced was only the tip of the iceberg. 

****************************************************** 

When we had left the Mana Net, Isis was waiting. She ran over to Vet and said, "Vet, I have some grave news. Last night, one of your children became ill. You must rush home." Vet had a scared look on her face and she ran off to the elevator.   
Li turned to Isis and said, "Isis, I think that the child that is ill might be Shoac's second incarnation. The spirit of Redor told us that the third incarnation stole the 'Timebomb'." Isis's face went white in shock.   
I then said, "Isis, if what Li said was true, then who ever is ill might kill her. Which child is ill?" I was concerned for Vet's life now, for she said that people thought her children were angels.   
"The child that is ill is JaNa, Vet's daughter." Isis said that as if she was pronouncing a death sentence. The twins were four years old right now. For them, the day of independence's door was fourteen years away. Vet was not going to enjoy hearing that her daughter might kill her.   
  



	8. Deadly Desire

Deadly Desire   
A Story And Addendum For Memoirs Of The Heroes. (Previously "Memoirs Of An Adventure's Child.")   
(All Characters Are Ficticious And bare no resemblence to living people. Any resemblence to fictional characters is only by chance.) 

===================================================== 

I had to admit that something strange had hit the town. Three men had died mysteriously, but I knew that it wasn't linked to the Hani, since my wife, Vet, slayed that monster almost eight years ago. The twins had just turned twelve and JaNa had started the transformation from little girl to young woman. It was odd this day, because KLar, my son ran to me and said, "Dad, Mom's sick."   
Something odd was going on, because Vet never got sick anymore. She had evolved to the point where she could cast a Super-Cure Spell. The spell lasted about a year, and would protect her from normal ailments. I turned to my son and said, "KLar, please stay down here. I shall see what's wrong with Mom." I ran up the steps and enter the bedroom. Vet was lying on the bed, and she did not look healthy at all. She appeared as if she was fighting an illness, but she was holding her own for now. The real odd thing was that her hair was starting to transform, from the red that I fell in love with, to that of blonde. I looked at her and said, "What's wrong?"   
Vet lifted her hand and took my mine and said, "Magic. Something powerful. I'm holding it off for now. Check on JaNa." She closed her eyes. She usually knew if something was wrong. When I relayed the message to Vet that JaNa fell ill, she came home instantly. I ran over to JaNa's room and then saw the problem. JaNa had fully developed into womanhood, but the problem was that she had blonde hair like her brother. She was born with red hair, like Vet had, and JaNa now had blue eyes. Her eyes were brown when she was born. I left the room. There must be some ill magic going on. I was about to check on Vet again when at the bottom of the steps, I saw Rich.   
I ran down and Rich said, "By the way you are running around, Vet and JaNa appear ill. Am I right?" I didn't know how he knew, but he was right.   
I went to my friend and said, "Yes, and it appears to be magical. But how did you know about it?"   
"Li went through the transformation a few days ago. It is only in the first stages. They are apparently turning into the image of Venus, but I talked with Isis and it appears to be worse."   
I was concerned when Rich said worse. "What do you mean?"   
Rich looked grim. "Isis said that the women would start to do anything for any man. The magical aura would force all men to be attracted to them. After the spell takes full hold, the women will kill the men."   
I looked at him and said, "What do you mean?"   
"Isis said that the women turn into something called a succubus. From her explanation, they will seduce the men, and then feast on there life, like a vampire. Isis said that Radr might be able to find the spell that started it."   
I looked back to the steps, "JaNa has already made the first change, and Vet seems to be struggling against the first change. I can't risk both of them here. Can Radr take care of them."   
Rich appeared to be in thought, until he finally said, "Yes. Radr might be able to keep them from doing anything. Right now, we should get Vet and JaNa to the guardian base, especially before JaNa starts having the magical aura."   
I knew of Rich's wife and said, "What about Li? She must be the same."   
"She was. Her brunette hair had changed blonde and I had sent her to Radr, with our children."   
"When did you have kids?"   
"Three years ago. We had a girl three years ago, and a boy last year. It appears that the motherhood instint is keeping both safe for now. I hope to stop this before this affects my daughter."   
I looked at Rich and wondered if Isis had been affected. I decided to voice my concern at that time. "Rich, is Isis being affect, because if we have to fight her, we may not win?"   
Rich had a grim look on his face. "When I talked to Isis a couple of days ago, she was starting to transform. I think she might hold out for a while, but not as long as Vet might."   
I was startled when Vet said, "Hold out from what, Rich?" She had managed to get up and was walking down the steps. I heard Rich gasp as he saw how Vet had started to change. Vet was Rich's best friend. She then said, "Does Isis know what is happening?"   
Rich had trouble making out the next words. "She knows what is happening because it is happening to her as well. She told me that we should talk to Radr. She even said that you might last longer than she would. She has sealed herself in the temple."   
I notice that Vet's hair was changing, slower than it had been. Vet then asked, "Rich, what is happening to me, to Li, to my daughter."   
Rich swallowed and said, "You are transforming into a Succubus. Isis said it was a female vampire that seduces male victims. In time, you will produce a magical aura that will seduce all men. After that, you will probably kill them." Vet started to shudder. My wife never shuddered unless she was really afraid for her life.   
I realized what had to be done. I turned to my wife and said, "Vet, Radr might have an idea of what to do, and maybe he can isolate you and JaNa from everyone until Rich and I fix the problem."   
Vet then said, "If it is magic related, I must go along. I am the only one of use who can cast spells."   
I looked at my wife and said "And what if the transformation takes over and you become a Succubus. Our lives will be in danger."   
Vet had an answer for everything. "Radr must have something to protect you from that, especially if I fully transform. Now, we must leave KLar in charge of the house."   
"I'll tell KLar this. You just get JaNa and cast some sort of Anti-Charm Spell on her." Vet went back upstairs and I called KLar over. I looked at my son and said, "KLar, your mother and I are going to leave you here alone for a while. Do not let women into the house, for it will cost you your life."   
KLar looked up at me and said, "Will Mom be alright?" I had to admit that since JaNa had fallen ill, KLar was always concerned for all, especially his mother.   
I looked my son in the eyes and said, "If we succeed, she and your sister will be fine." He nodded as if he understood, which my son was very good at.   
"Dad, please bring Mom home safe, as well as JaNa," he said. I then noticed that my wife was bringing JaNa down the steps. JaNa looked drained, but Vet's condition had started to get a little worse.   
Vet looked at us and said, "I think we better get to Radr, and soon." With that, we left the house. 

Radr was not surprised to see us. We were escorted into the Guardian base, and JaNa was placed in a special chamber with the rest of the infected women. Radr, at first, insisted that Vet go into the chamber, but she wouldn't go in. Vet finally said to Radr, "Radr, I am the only one of all of us that can fight this evil magic with my magic."   
Radr's voice had become cold as he had transformed into a computer over the past few years. It reflected in his speech as he said, "I DO NOT THINK IT WOULD BE WISE, VET. THE FULL TRANSFORMATION MIGHT CAUSE YOU TO KILL YOUR FRIENDS."   
Vet raised her voice just a bit. "As of right now, I can still help. There has to be some item of the Ancient's that can stop me from being a risk."   
Radr continued in his monotone. "THERE IS ONE ITEM, BUT THE CHANCES OF IT WORKING IS SLIM, IF THE MAGIC IS OF ONE OF THE INVADING GODS."   
I looked at Radr and said, "All of those gods are dead. They are no longer a threat to our world. Ashura, Odin, Venus, Apollo, and all the rest were killed in the quest."   
Radr's voice continued and an image appeared on the screen. It was the former world of Venus, but it looked as if the crystalline city had been remade, and stronger. From the image, most of the people were female. Radr then said, "I KNOW ONE THING. THAT WAS NOT THE WORK OF ISIS. I THINK THAT SOMEONE FROM VENUS' HOMEWORLD HAS RETURNED TO TAKE REVENGE ON US. MAYBE THIS SUCCUBI SPELL IS THEIR DOING."   
Rich said to Radr, "How can it be someone from Venus' homeworld? I thought that the invading gods and goddesses were stopped." Rich's tone was that of disbelief.   
Radr continued in his monotone, yet there was concern in it. "I DETECTED THAT A BEING TRANSPORTED INTO THE WORLD VENUS' HELD AND CAST THE SPELL. IT MIGHT TAKE GREAT STRENGTH TO DEFEAT THIS BEING, AND IF VET KEEPS USING MAGIC, SHE WILL TRANSFORM FASTER THAN ANY OF THE WOMEN ALIVE."   
I notice that Vet had changed more on the journey, for her figure had started to change. "Then how can I help, I want to save my daughter and my Magic might be the only way to protect them from the aura of attraction."   
Radr had taken a new line of thought at this. "HOW LONG DOES THAT SPELL LAST?"   
"About a day."   
"THEN CAST IT BEFORE THEY GO. RICH, SKIZ, DO NOT KILL ANY OF THE WOMEN, FOR THAT WILL BE YOUR DEATH. GO TO CASTLE AND FIND THE LEADER."   
"What should I do?" I could tell that Vet would not stay behind. She loved me and our children that much.   
Radr then said, "VET, I HAVE A COLLAR THAT WILL NULLIFY YOUR POWERS, AND ANY MAGIC EMINATING FROM YOU. YOU WILL NOT CHANGE, BUT IF YOU REMOVE IT WHILE CLOSE TO THE SOURCE, YOU WILL CHANGE COMPLETELY. DO YOU UNDERSTAND?"   
I watched as my wife nodded. For the first time in our marrage, I saw a look of helplessness on her face. Vet nodded and went to a bedroom. I looked at Radr and said, "Radr, how much do you think she will change?" My wife was changing into someone I didn't know, and I wanted to know what to expect when the change ended.   
The screen changed to show a female form. From what I could tell, she was the ideal woman for some guys in town. Radr's voice then said, "THIS IS WHAT SHE WILL LOOK LIKE BY THE TIME THE CHANGES END. MOSTLIKELY, HER CLOTHING MIGHT NOT FIT, EITHER TOO LOSE OR TOO TIGHT, MAYBE BOTH. I HAD A CHANCE TO EXAMINE SOME OF THE WOMEN WHO TRANSFORMED HERE. SINCE MY COMPUTER FORM IS IMMUNE TO ALL THE MAGIC, I FOUND THAT THEIR SKIN IS LIKE A STRONG ARMOR. NORMAL CLOTHING IS ALL THEY HAVE FOR PROTECTION AFTER THAT, AND THEY DO NOT WEAR MUCH OF IT."   
Rich shook his head for a moment and said, "That's evident, but why?"   
Radr continued, "THE AURA IS EMINATING FROM THEIR SKIN. THE MORE THEY SHOW, THE QUICKER THEY CATCH THEIR PREY. THEY BASICALLY USE THEIR BEAUTY TO SEDUCE MEN. CHILDREN ARE SAFE FROM THE AURA, DUE TO THE INNOCENCE OF THE YOUNG. BUT WHEN THE CHILDREN START TO MATURE, THE SUCCUBI WILL ATTACK."   
Rich then said, "Then we have to move quickly. Radr, if you can find that collar, we will leave in the morning." At that Rich and I went to our seperate rooms for the evening. 

Morning came quickly and Radr had called us over to the base entrance. Radr then said, "VET, CAST THE SPELL AND I SHALL HAVE THE COLLAR PLACED ON YOU. REMEMBER, DO NOT TAKE IT OFF OR ELSE YOU WILL COMPLETELY TRANSFORM INTO A SUCCUBUS."   
Vet nodded and said, "I understand." I noticed that my wife's armor had seemed abit loose in the waist area, but that was to be expected with this spell. Vet then cast the Anti-Charm Spell and I felt the magical aura surround us. She then made a sound of pain. I looked at her and then saw her hair was becoming more blonde then when we had arrived. Rich placed the collar around her neck and pushed a button. It had a yellow glow about it and Vet almost collapsed.   
I looked at my wife and asked, "Are you alright, Vet?" She shook her head and I said, "We got to hurry and stop this. She must be in pain."   
Rich looked at me and said, "That armor that she is wearing was altered for her figure, not for the figure of a succubus." I realized what he was saying. Her armor was too small for her. We had to hurry.   
Radr said, "GO TO FORMER CITY OF VENUS, AND ENTER THE MAIN BUILDING. THE BEING IS ON THE TOP FLOOR. RICH, USE THE REVENGE SWORD IF YOU CAN." He nodded and then Radr said to me, "SKIZ, YOUR FORM IS VERY POWERFUL RIGHT NOW, AS A LEVEL 5 DRAGON. USE ALL YOUR ATTACKS ON THE BEING." I nodded and Vet, Rich and myself ran out of the base.   
It took us a while to get to Venus' former city, but we were doubly surprise by the beauty of it. The bigger surprise was that the main building was built entirely out of magic glass. I had heard that building with this stuff was absolutely forbiden. Normally, glass would let light through, but it would also focus the sunlight, so if light came from the top, it would be a furnace on the bottom floor. Magic glass stopped that from happening and was so clear that only at noon could you see the outline of the glass, or in mist. The one problem with magic glass is that one can see anything through it. I swear that on the higher levels, I could see how the succubi were killing their victims. I then realized that was what happened to the men in the hometown.   
Rich gulped and said, "Looks like all those ladies have been busy." I looked at were he was looking, and saw dozens of male bodies. They were withered corpses. I then knew what Radr and Isis meant by leahal. We entered the glass building. The three of us had to work our way through the invisable maze and make our way to the top. Many times, we encounter dead ends, and other times we were confronted with fighting a succubus. We decided to just try and knock them out, and that was tough as they noticed that Rich and I weren't attracted to them. It took some time, but we finally reached the top of the tower, and found the leader. To my surprise, it was a brunette woman, with a body just like the succubi.   
She looked at us and said, "Let me guess. You were the ones who killed my sister. At least I manage to get one of you out of the way." She was looking at Vet, who was starting to look upset at the situation. The woman continued by saying, "I was hoping that you would kill your friends by now."   
Rich looked at the woman and said, "Who are you, demon?"   
The woman launched lightning at him and said, "I am not a demon. I will be the new goddess of this world. I cast this spell to enslave this world. I figured that the major problem with this land was men, and I always despised men. That is why I cast the spell this way. The wives, daughters and lovers of the men would kill them, but the mothers would take care of the children."   
I looked at the woman and said, "But you thought every woman would be a succubi by now, and my wife was different from all."   
The woman slowly approached me and said, "I should kill you myself. You helped kill my sister, and your wife will do anything I request, since I am the original Succubi. Venus cursed me with this, but now that she is dead, and I can take her power. The only bad thing is, I didn't kill her. Now this world will be controlled by Levo, for even now, Isis is coming here as my newest follower, and you will be my first feast." She grabbed me and started to attempt to kiss me.   
Vet screamed in fury as she attacked Levo. The two women quickly engaged in a fight, and it was quick. First Vet had made several painful punches to Levo, but Levo made the blow that ended the fight. Levo's fist hit the collar and it shattered into hundreds of pieces. Instantaneously, Vet shrieked in pain and Levo cast a magic spell, replacing Vet's armor with a very enticing outfit. At least the anti-charm spell was still in effect over me and Rich, but Vet was now a succubi. Vet then faced me with a hungry look in her eyes and said, "It is time to feast."   
A scream filled the air and all turned to face Levo. She had two slices across her chest, and blood was flowing from both. Rich had finally recovered from the lightning and struck her with the Revenge Sword. She then said, "I will drain you for that one."   
Vet advanced toward me and I thought quickly. With one wing, I knocked her to the side of the room. I then looked at Levo and said, "Chill out, demoness." With that, I blew ice-breath on her. It was so cold that the blood froze, both on the outside and the inside. In no time, she was a cold statue. I then grabbed her with my claw and crushed her into billions of pieces. As a precausion, I devoured one of the pieces, and I transformed into a new creature. I had become a Gen-Bu. I looked at my wife, and she had returned to her normal look, but her outfit did not change from that of a succubus' garb. I held her and said, "Are you alright?"   
She smiled at me and said, "I feel like I was trapped someplace but I was still doing things." She looked at her clothes and realized what had happened. "Did I lose the collar?" When I nodded she said, "Did the Succubi destroy it?"   
There was a loud rumble and I realized that the Levo's magic must have been keeping this glass tower together. "Yes, she did. But now, could you cause a mist so all of the people here can escape." My wife nodded and cast a Mist spell. We all ran down the steps to the exit. On the way, many women joined us, including Lynn, who Rich's father took care of for a while.   
Lynn looked at us and said, "What happened? Last thing I remember was falling ill on my wedding day. I remember kissing my husband and he disappeared. What happened?" I didn't have the heart to tell her.   
Just as we exited the tower, it shattered. We were wore out when we exited the tower. Rich looked at them and said, "To think that demoness was mad because we did something she wanted to do."   
Vet then said, "I guess we're some of the lucky ones. Think of all the men that have died as of now. I just hope that the third evil is not that evil."   
Rich then said something I didn't want to hear. "Levo was not the second evil of this world. The fact is, it appears that JaNa might be the second incarnation of Shoac."   
I looked at him and yelled, "JaNa can't be evil. She's so sweet and innocent."   
Vet was to my side and said, "Beside, if it was the case of reincarnation, it can't be JaNa."   
Rich said, "But, the power was transfered, and JaNa fell ill. Maybe it was because of the power transfer. The power left St. Marius and mostlikely entered JaNa. I didn't think much of it at first until Li told me about the prophecy."   
Vet had tears in her eyes and was sobbing, "It can't be true."   
All of a sudden, Isis said, "It might not be. It might be KLar that is the evil one." She was in her usual outfit, but then Isis already looked like the ideal woman. She then said, "The reason it is believed that JaNa is evil is because she fell ill. I would not be surprised if she fell ill because the evil could not enter her."   
Rich then said, "Then, we don't know if JaNa or KLar is the second incarnation." From the way Rich said that, I had a feeling that something was amiss. It was late when we returned to the guardian base and Radr told Lynn what had happened. Isis was comforting Lynn and we all went to bed for the night. That night I had a terrible nightmare. I saw myself, or was it Vet, being murdered. 


	9. Flawed Faith

Flawed Faith   
A Story And Addendum For Memoirs Of The Heroes. (Previously "Memoirs Of An Adventure's Child."))   
(All Characters Are Ficticious And bare no resemblence to living people. Any resemblence to fictional characters is only by chance.) 

===================================================== 

It had been about three years since I had to help in stopping the evil magic that affected my wife and daughter. It was during that quest that Vet and I learned that one of our children was the second evil to the land. Vet didn't know what to do. When I had heard the news, I didn't know who it was. The fact that JaNa had fallen ill at the time that Vet had slain St. Marius was one factor working against her. There was little belief that KLar was the evil one. It wasn't until the day that Vet came down the steps upset that evidence pointed to JaNa. She looked upset as she came over to my den. "Skiz, love," she said, "I think I have found something scary." She handed me a pamphlet.   
I read the front of it aloud. "The Route Of Rigge. I heard about this cult. They are apparently about a thousand years old. All I know about it is that the only reason it survived so long is that many people are high up in the powers of each world." I then notice Vet had shuddered. "What's wrong?"   
She continued to shudder as she said, "Read the inside." There was something bothering her, and it was starting to bother me as well. I then went to read the pamphlet. I start with the origin of the cult. 

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ 

It was years after Apollo had entered our world. Apollo was the kindest of the evil gods, because he allowed us to keep our control. I was mayor of the mountain city, and I hated answering to Apollo. I wanted to regain my freedom. One night as I was walking on the outskirts of town, a man stopped me. He looked very regal, yet he wanted something. I looked at the traveller and said, "What do you need, weary traveller?"   
At that point I received enlightenment, for he said, "It is not what I need, it is what you need. I know of your disgust with Apollo. I can tell you who brought them here. It was Isis that brought those evil demons to this world. She has grown evil with power."   
I was not sure that I heard him correctly, so I said, "You mean to say that our beloved Isis brought these monsters here. How could she do that?"   
The man nodded and said, "I was her priest at one time, and when I saw her bringing those demons into this world, I tried to stop her. Unfortunately, she condemned me to a terrible fate. I know what must be done to free me from this fate, so I must ask you to gather your friends, the leaders of other towns, together to talk." He started to walk away.   
The man had a plan to save us all. I called to him, "How shall I contact you?" I wanted to know how I could reach our new savior.   
The man said to me, "I shall return in a week. I shall see you then, Rigge." With that, the man left. He must be our savior, for he knew my name. 

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ 

I looked at my wife and said, "Vet, what is bothering you about this?" Vet had taken to sitting in a chair. She was still trembling. "Is it that they believe the evil gods were Isis's minions. These people are obvious lunatics."   
Vet looked at me and studdered, "R-r-read O-o-on." Something was truly upsetting her about this so I continued on with the pamphlet. 

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ 

The week had passed and all the leaders from all the towns, except the valley town in the world of Ki, was there. I had told them very little, but that someone was offering us a chance to save our world. The leader from the town in the world that Warmech had invaded said, "Why are we here, Rigge? You said something about a savior."   
"I know," I had responeded. "This man can save us. He promises to stop the gods, but he has a problem that we must help him with."   
"We have enough troubles with the evil gods invading our homes. How can this man help us?"   
"He can stop the evil gods, but their leader had cursed him. We must help him, to save ourselves."   
"Cursed. You mean this person is a Hani," exclaimed the leader of the Outcast village in Venus' world. "You want us to make a deal with the devil."   
"No. The man was cursed by the leader of the evil gods."   
"And who is that, and we will tell Isis, whenever she returns."   
I heard his voice and turned to face our savior. "It is Isis, and she has fled for now. She has transformed into Magi and waits for her followers to reassemble her. The only way I can stop her is to remove the curse, which I cannot do alone."   
The leader of the Desert town said, "What do you need? We have nothing you would want, and none of us want to die."   
The savior continued, "When Isis put this curse on me, I lost hope as well. But I discovered a way to return to the living, but many must sacrifice their lives. Once a year, for two thousand years, a person must sacrifice their life. After two thousand sacrifices, the curse will be removed."   
I looked at our savior and said, "But, Isis will know about the deaths, if all you say is true."   
"Do not worry, for I have a plan," the savior said as he smiled. "This society, this religion will grow in secrecy and work in the ruling classes of the world. If Isis returns, we shall undermine her. Pretend to follow her, and we shall trive."   
"What shall we call it?"   
"Since it was you, Rigge, that I approached first, it shall be called 'The Route Of Rigge'. It would bring more attention for my name to be mentioned in the title."   
I finally asked, "Savior, what is your name?"   
"I am St. Marius." 

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ 

I dropped the pamphlet and looked at my wife. She was shaking like a leaf. "Isn't he dead? I mean, you delivered the final blow to him. He has to be dead, doesn't he." I got up and hugged my wife.   
She didn't stop shaking as she said, "He said that he would return. He's going to kill me. He's going to destroy me."   
I tried to calm my wife down and said, "He can't kill you. He has been dead for eleven years now. The only way he could get back is if he got resurrected."   
Vet pointed to the pamphlet and said "Read on." I picked up the pamphlet and continued reading the document. 

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ 

It had been many years since 'The Route Of Rigge' was founded. St. Marius had always taken the person chosen to help him back. I have continued as countless others had before me. We had move the head place of worship to the town nearest to Isis in the belief to hide best from her. One the day of the sacrifice, St. Marius appeared, not as a human, but as a spirit. I looked at our savior and said, "St. Marius, what has happened to you? Why are you a spirit?"   
He said in a whispy voice, "Isis has recruited new evils, ones who could kill me. My spirit can be reborn, but the sacrifices mean nothing."   
I was distressed at this, all these years of work, gone down the drain. The legend of the four who slain the evil gods, yet save Isis, was known amongst the 'Route', but we didn't know how evil these four were. I looked at the spirit and said, "What must be done?"   
He looked at me and said, "The Annoited One shall lead you to my rebirth."   
"Who is that, oh savior."   
"The Annoited One is the one who will kill my murderer. With the death of my killer, I will take over their form. I shall live again, and uncursed."   
I thought about who of the four could have slain our savior. According to legend, a cursed being could only be killed with a Seven Sword, which left the monster out. I still wondered who the Annoited One was. "Who is this person you speak of?"   
The spirit started to fade and said, "The murder's child is my chosen one. They will take their place in the future, and on their day of adulthood, they will bring me back to the world." He disappeared and I smiled.   
Almost ten years after that, The Annoited One had arrived, and worked in secret to prepare for the day. 

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ 

I finally realized what had my wife so scared. St. Marius was going to return, but through the hands of the second evil. This was either my son, or my daughter. I decided to ask the crutial question. "Vet, my love, where did you find this?"   
She still shook, but managed to say, "It was on JaNa's bed. She must be planning to kill me. She must have the power to do so."   
I was about to say something, when the door closed. KLar walked into the room and said, "What's wrong with mom?" I didn't know how to reply to his question. KLar was obviously the good child, but I didn't know for sure.   
Vet looked at him and said, "I'm just nervous about something. Where is JaNa?"   
He said, "JaNa is talking with a boy she met the other day. I don't remember his name, but something about a man named Rigge always came up in his talks." I realized that moment that Vet was going to die at the hands of her daughter, and I could do very little to save her. 


	10. Fatal Journey

Fatal Journey   
A Story And Addendum For Memoirs Of The Heroes. (Previously "Memoirs Of An Adventure's Child."))   
(All Characters Are Ficticious And bare no resemblence to living people. Any resemblence to fictional characters is only by chance.) 

===================================================== 

My life has been a tragic journey over the past years. Knowing when one will die is not conforting, less conforting when you will die at the hand of your own child. Over the past years, evidence has appeared that my daughter will be my murderer. As her eighteenth birthday approaches, I have never been left alone with my children. In a slim hope, my husband, Skiz, and I plan to take the children to see Isis. Before we were to leave for the journey, Skiz took the twins for some items. I decided to get ready to sleep for the last night in my bed. I figured that once we were on the trip, cleaning up would be few and infrequent. I got a bath ready and was about to get in, when I heard a crash from my bedroom. I put a towel around myself and got ready to cast the spell. As I left the bathroom, I was ambushed by two demons. The one, a short, chubby one tackled me, knocking me to the ground, and almost knocking the towel off. The other slowly walked over to me and placed a collar around my neck. I felt a strange sensation pass through me. The tall one held me down, and I feared that the two monsters were going to violate me. The short, chubby one said, "Hey, Vey, do you think we can have a little fun with her first?" It was said that demons always attacked women for the reason of mating.   
The tall one knocked him away from me and said, "You remembered what the ones who summoned us said. And the Annoited One said only to capture their mother." I then realized that JaNa must have sent these demons. I tried to knock the other demon away, but I could hardly move. The demon said, "You have to forgive my brother, Oy. He has not mated since the the evil gods arrived." This demon spoke with a dignified tone.   
"What do you want with me?" I said when Vey picked me up and placed me over his shoulder.   
"If I were to tell you everything, I would be spoiling your fate, but you might have firgured your fate out by now." I was scared, but this was worse than I could imagine. I was thankful when I heard the door close downstairs.   
"Help!" I screamed at the top of my lungs, and Skiz came running up the stairs. He tackled the demon holding me, as the other escaped out the window.   
My husband, in a fury, slammed Vey against the wall, and demanded, "What did you do to her?"   
The demon smiled and said, "I was just doing what the 'Route' had ordered. She must die to save your world." He laughed with that and continued, "My brother, myself and the Annoited One know the truth, but those fools believe you are evil. As for the collar, the Annoited One has the key, but only that witch, Isis, can find it." The demon disappeared and my husband turned to me.   
I went to stand up and almost fell on my face. I was never this clutzy. I then realized what this collar was doing to me. "Skiz, I'm defenseless. My abilities are nill." Skiz came over to me and helped me up.   
"Vet, hon, I will help you for tonight. We will leave at midnight, so rest up." I nodded and slowly made my way to the bath. I cleaned up and went to my bed. I had to rest for the trip. 

Most of my life, dreams of a past life have haunted my sleep. Since the quest, my dreams have stopped, but now I had a terrible dream. In my dream, I was in a room, with a sphere in the center. I was chained down, underneath the floating sphere. The sphere had an aura that could cancel all magic I tried. Then a haze came from the sphere, and spoke. "I have you, child, and now I shall have your power." There was a flash and I was looking down at my body. My body stood and laughed, as it looked at me. I was in the sphere, alive, but immoble. I screamed and awoke.   
My husband had walked into the room and helped me up. "Are you Okay, my love?"   
"I just dreamed of my death." He helped me downstairs as I spoke. The collar that was placed on me still inhibited my abilities, and I was stumbling down the steps. He gave me the armor that I had earned on the quest, but as I put it on over my clothing, I collapsed to the ground.   
"I don't think you are going to be alright during this journey, Vet. I hope that you don't get hurt during the journey." My husband was concerned, because we were going to take our children along the path we took. KLar was the one who wanted to take the journey, but JaNa wanted to stay with her boyfriend. I never trusted the boy, mainly because he always talked about the 'Route Of Rigge'. He had never shown his face around the house, but I was not surprised.   
KLar walked over to my side and said, "I hope you will be okay, mother. I wish we could make those demons pay for what they did."   
JaNa walked into the room and said, "There was something strange about this. From all the lore I have read on demons, they usually attack women only when they need to mate, and they never try to abduct their victims."   
My husband looked at her and said, "You have read stories about demons."   
JaNa smiled and said, "I wanted to be just like mom, so I worked on learning everything." I didn't know whether to believe my daughter or not. With all the evidence against her, I thought it was just a lie. She then continued by saying, "Demons usually mate right were they catch their victims. If the process is disturbed, the victim is in a state of awaitment. The victim, if touched during that state, will collapsed, as if they were waiting for satisfaction. Victims of demons usually feel betrayed by their mind and body. Logically, they don't want the demons to mate with them, but demons have a magical ability to enslave their victims. First the body submits, then the emotions of the victim. The betrayal is the last thing these females feel, since the body explodes into the form of a baby demon." I shuddered when I heard that.   
My husband said, "Let's hope that they can't follow us on the road. Once we pass through the tunnel north of town, we will head to the temple of Isis. We can find help there, if we need it." I noticed that JaNa didn't cringe at the mention of Isis' name, but it must be a front.   
After a short while, we were on our way. Not many monsters attacked anymore, but as of recently, the monster attacks had started to increase. My family protected me in my helpless state, but I still felt scared. We finally reached the tunnel to the rest of the world. As we got halfway through the tunnel, a group of hooded individuals approached us. I knew who they were even before they made their demand. "Give the murderer to us. She must pay for her crime."   
My husband looked at them and said, "Only over all our dead bodies." The attackers stopped moving for a moment and then started to attack. It took only a matter of minutes, but the cult was stopped. We had left the tunnel, and made our way to the Temple Of Isis.   
The temple used to be the home of Ki, until she was killed by St. Marius. In the past years, the Temple was left to disrepair. After the incident with the Succubus, Lynn was sent to the temple by Isis. We entered and went to Lynn. She looked at us, and at me. She noticed the collar and ran over to me. "Vet, how did you get that cursed Ancient's device on you."   
I looked at her in wonder. She knew what the device was, and I wanted to know. "Lynn, was is this collar? I'm as weak as a baby in this. I'm about as agile as a man with two left feet. My magic is nonexistance. What is it?"   
Lynn looked at me, and my family, and said, "The collar is said to be from the evil Ancients. They captured the good Ancients and used it to weaken them. They tortured and kill them and then removed the collar. When the Ancients all left, this device was hidden deep within the dungeon world. The only bad thing is that the key can only be used in the center of the world. That was done to it when the evil Ancients were defeated."   
My son looked at her and said, "Can't you do anything to help her? Like this, she is a victim for anyone. Two demons put that collar on her." Lynn shook her head.   
JaNa looked at her and said, "Would the Ancient Ruins have an answer to the key's location?" I wondered how much JaNa wanted to help me, or if it was a plan to hurt me.   
Lynn looked at us and said, "On the wall of the Ruins are mystic runes. They can fortell the future for anyone, answer any question, but they can only be asked once. Write down the ruins, for there is one woman who can decifer them." We nodded and left the temple. 

It had taken about an hour to reach the ruins. As we circled the building, I stubbled into the wall with the runes. As my family approached, four lines appeared. We copied the runes down and then I asked about the key. All of a sudden, another set of ruins appeared and we copied down the runes. I heard a twig crack and we all turned. The demons were there, with some of the cult. "Amazing how the ruins say your death is evident. You should give up now," claimed Vey.   
My husband looked at them and said, "You're lying about that, Demon."   
"Am I? Demons can read that cursed wall as well as other people. Now, hand over the murderer." That quickly, my family attacked them and it was a short battle. All of us walked away with wounds, and my husband flew us to the Pillar town. We went to the Inn and rested for the night, as I wondered what the runes meant. 

We awoke early in the morning, and left the Pillar Town. We had purchased many waterskins, for our next stop was the Desert world. We travelled into the Celestiral World and headed to the Desert world. I heard my daughter exclaim, "The stories were true. I heard that the celestiral world was high above the stars, and stars far below." My daughter was in awe as we traveled to the desert world. When we finally arrived in the desert world, we saw the town at the base of the pillar in ruins.   
"By the looks of this, the town near the tower may be our only place to stay, and some monsters that followed Ashura still live there. If the cult doesn't attack, the monsters will," my husband said, with a serious tone in his voice.   
KLar looked at us and said, "We can stop those monsters if they attack."   
My husband then said, "But your mother is in no way able to fight and protect herself." My husband was right.   
JaNa looked at me and said, "I don't think we should take a chance. Mom, maybe the monsters might be working for the cult."   
My husband then said, "I think that won't be. The monsters in that town swore alligence to Ashura, so we have to risk staying there. Besides, demons and monsters are natural enemies." We all noded and we trekked to the town. It was a long journey across the desert, with all the sandstorms, we almost got killed from exhaustion. It was almost nightfall when we reached the tower. We didn't dare go in and then decided to go the town. We first got some waterskins at the shop, and we quickly went to the Inn to rest for the night. 

In the middle of the night, I awoke when I heard a crash. Almost instantly, we were ready for battle, and my family crowded around me. The lead monster said, "You murdered our leader, now we murder you." The monster obviously had wanted us dead, and they outnumbered us. Without my magic abilities, we would have died. I started to pray for a miracle, and Isis delivered it. Mask, the man who helped us on our quest, arrived out of nowhere and fought off the monsters. He escorted us out of the town.   
When we reached the pillar, Mask turned to us and said, "I hope you all are Ok, especially you, Vet." I was surprised when Mask said this.   
I turned to him and said, "Mask, why did you say this?" He looked at the rest of my family uncomfortably and then I said to them, "Could you step away. I think this is something he just wants to tell me." They all walked toward the pillar and I said, "What is it?"   
For the first time that I had met him, Mask removed his mask. "Vet, if you died now, the help you got from me years ago wouldn't have happened. Vet, I took the name Mask years ago when I joined the guardians, on my sixteenth birthday. When I met you, I recognized by father. Rich is my father. I was transported back in time, when he left on a quest to save you."   
I was amazed. A spell sent Rich's son back in time, but why would me living now mattered that much. I looked at Mask and said, "Why?"   
"I can't say now. I just know it happened years from now, and the 'Route of Rigge' is involved." With that, he put his mask on and left. I then went over to my family, with the knowledge of my fate.   
My husband came over to me and said, "What's did he say?" I didn't know how to answer my husband, so I decided to ignore the question. He realized that I couldn't say anything at the time and didn't press into the question. We travelled back to the celestrial world and went to the world of the Giants. Although the Giants had been gone for an unknown length of time, it still had the remnents of their town in it. When we entered the world, Skiz said, "See the wall over there, that is the wal of the Giant's Town."   
JaNa looked in the direction and said, "I'm having trouble seeing the wall." She was right, for a fog was starting to encircle us. As I was moving over to my family, the fog started to close around me. I couldn't move, and slowly my breath started to stop. I was starting to lose consciousness. Then, everything went black. 

I awoke with rope around my body, binding me so I couldn't move. I screamed out in fear, and the familiar voice of the demon Vey say, "Sorry about that, but the master said you had to be captured."   
I looked at the demon in frustration. "Why are you doing this to me?"   
Oy came over to me and placed a hand on me and said, "Well, if I had my way, we would be mating." The thought of that almost made me retch. I would have shook free of his hold, if I wasn't tied down to this stone platform.   
Vey walked over to his brother and knocked him away. "The next world. We will get you a possible mate in the next world."   
I struggled to move, but I couldn't, due to the collar. I then said, "I am not going to give up. I will not let St. Marius take over my body."   
"Oh, he will, and the time is near." Vey walked over and ran his hand over my body. "St. Marius had been plotting this with his other counterpart. When he died, he knew that his rebirth would be through his killer's body. He is going to have your power, alive or dead." a crash interrupted the demons as my family crashed in. The demons disappeared and JaNa came over and cut the ropes. I was almost afraid she would cut my throat. KLar came over and helped me up.   
My husband walked over to me and said, "We didn't know if we were going to find you, but JaNa saw the fog near the one building of the giants. I don't think we should wait around here for long, though. This looks like a temple for the 'Route of Rigge'. If we don't get you out of here, you're going to be killed."   
I nodded to my husband and said, "You're right, Skiz. Lead us out of here." My husband led the way out of the temple, to the stairway in the steps and out of the giant's world. We had then returned to the celestrial world. We follow the Celestrial World to the world that Apollo had ruled. The first site we saw as we entered that world was Apollo's castle in ruins. We approached it and I said, "This was where Apollo ruled this world from, kids. He gave the image of someone who cared, but all he wanted was to rule all the gods." My children nodded and we then walked toward the mountain, bypassing the town. According to the pamphlet, it was a mayor of that town who started the 'Route of Rigge'.   
When we reached the mountain, KLar looked at it and said, "Did Apollo create the winds in the mountain?" I had told both of my children about the quest, but somethings were always confused by KLar.   
"No, my child. The winds were created by a robot named Durantus." I noticed that it was getting late. I said to my family, "I think I know where we can rest."   
"With Ki's friend in the port town, am I right?" my husband shouted. I nodded and we were on our way to the Port Town. It took us a few hours, but we made it to the town. We went striaght to the Inn and the innkeeper was happy to see us.   
She ran over to me and said, "Vet, I'm happy to see you. How has your life been since the potion helped you."   
I looked at her and said, "My life has been hectic." A thought hit my mind right then. I pulled out the runes and said, "Can you desipher these runes? They were on the wall of the Ancients' Ruins."   
She took it and said, "I think I can, but it will take at least a day. Come back tomorrow night and I will tell you then."   
"Thank you. Here is the cash for a night's sleep." I paid her and we all took a room for the night. I went to sleep, still full of fear of my limited life span. My death was drawing closer and my life would end soon. 

In the morning, I was pulled out of bed by a man dressed in uniform. He must have been a protector of the peace. He pulled me to my feet and put manicles on me. Another man apporached and said, "You are under arrest for the robbery of a store in my town. I know you were in my town and I know you robbed the stroe."   
My family woke up and my husband said, "What in the world is going on here? What are you doing to my wife."   
The man spoke again, "I am the mayor of the mountain town. Your wife robbed my town yesterday. She was witnessed."   
KLar then spoke up and said, "But, we were never in your town. I bet that the crime never took place."   
JaNa then said, "You must be with the 'Route'." With that, the man smiled. I then saw both JaNa and KLar attack the man. He was quick enough to pull me in front of him. Both of the kids stopped, and I was confused by this.   
The man then said, "She did commit one crime, murder, and she will pay for it." He tried to get me out of the building, when the peace keepers stopped him.   
The lead man said, "We cannot hold her, unless the crime was commited in our town. She is free to go." He released the manicles and my family and I left. We continued to the edge of the sea and looked out at it.   
I pointed out the volcano, and JaNa said, "Did Neptune really exist?"   
I looked at her and said, "No. It was only a volcano." I was still afraid, but she had not tried anything, even with all the opertunities. At first, she didn't want to go on this journey, but now she was enjoying it. We then headed for the Cave of Brightness. The cave was now enterable since Isis was returned to normal.   
We entered the cave and KLar looked at the floor. "It looks like it is moving." I had the same thought when I entered it almost thirty years ago. But back then, it was blindingly bright. We walked a little bit farther into the cave and all of a sudden, there was a blinding flash. All I could see was a white light in my eyes. I felt someone come up behind me. I thought it was someone in my family, but then I felt an arm around my neck. I couldn't breathe and I went unconscious. 

When I came to, I was again bound, but in a squating position. I opened my eyes and saw Oy and Vey in the room. We were still in the Cave of Brightness, but I didn't see my family. Oy looked at me, hungrly and said, "Nice to see you, again."   
Vey looked at his brother and pointed, "Oy, I captured her for you. Leave Vet alone." I managed to see what he was pointing at. Tied down to the ground, vulnerable, w as the innkeeper. Oy had a grin on his face as he went to his horrid task of mating. Two wings appeared out of Oy's back and encirled the bodies, except for their heads. I heard the Innkeeper scream. Vey then said to me, "This tends to get ugly. Her body won't be much to look at when he is done, with bruses and cuts everywhere. At least she won't live long, but you might live for months after a mating, and St. Marius wouldn't want that."   
I looked at the demon and said, "If St. Marius wouldn't want that, I'll gladly mate with that hidious brother of yours." I figured that if that happened, then I would have my vengence on St. Marius.   
Oy looked at me from the face of the innkeeper and said, "I'll get to you when she's finally mated with." I noticed the look on her face, it was a mixture of wanting to fight back, and wanting to beg for more. It didn't take long for it to fully change to the latter, and I saw Oy smile. The wings folded back in and I almost retched at that sight. The innkeeper's body was a bloody mess. Oy started to walk over to me and just as he was about to touch me, my family burst into the room.   
The demons disappeared as my husband advanced toward them. Skiz looked at the innkeeper and said to me, "What happened to her?"   
As KLar cut me free, I heard JaNa say, "I think one of those demons mated with her. She won't have long to live. Dad, you might want to kill her before the demon is born."   
Just before my husband was going to put her out of her misery when the innkeeper softly said, "Vet, I must tell you something." I went over to her side and she said, "Vet, your fate said that you will die twice, but you will be reborn." Her voice had gotten very soft at that point that only I was able to here it.   
I looked at her and said, "Who has the key?" She was about to say something, when she screamed in agony. From several points of her body, bulges seemed to push out. Instanty my husband struck, and she died in a bloody mess.   
My husband picked me up and said, "We better get out of this world. I know that the next world is where Radr is. He can take care of you at the base, and we will stay at the inn." I nodded and we left the cave of brightness. It took us hours to get to the pillar, mainly because of the mayor from the mountain town, with a new peace unit, was looking for us. Every time we saw them, we took a longer path, which kept us hidden from sight. It was nearing nightfall when we reached the pillar, and the trip between the worlds had been the first time we didn't feel threatened.   
When we entered the Guardian Town, everyone was happy to see us. I had figured that the 'Route Of Rigge' never attempted to influence the Guardian's world. My husband took us over to the tavern where the entrance to the base was and played the 'Heroic Tune'. When the door was opened, the guards were carrying a box with a red glass eye in it. From the box came the unmistakable voice of Radr, "VET, SKIZ, JANA, KLAR, IT IS GOOD TOO SEE YOU. ARE YOU ALL GOING TO BE STAYING IN THE BASE?"   
Skiz said, "Radr, as of lately, Vet has been the subject of many attacks. I want her to stay here for the night, the rest of us will be staying at the Inn in town. If they do attack, they will go to the Inn, and Vet will be safe."   
I nodded and Radr said, "I SEE. VET, YOU WILL BE WELCOME HERE. I SHALL LET YOU STAY IN THE SECURED ROOMS IN THE LOWEST LEVELS OF THE BASE."   
"Thank you, Radr." I responded and nodded. My family left for the inn and I went down with the guards to my room.   
On the way down, the guard said to me, "Is the 'Route' after you?"   
"How did you know?" I was surprised of the knowledge that they had.   
"The 'Route' has been trying to infiltrate the Guardian's for years, but when Radr merged with the computer, it became imposible to infiltrate. Some still try, though." This had me scared for my life. If the 'Route' was trying to infiltrate the guardians, was I safe here? When we reached my room, the guard said, "Don't worry about the 'Route', they have been stopped for a while."   
"Thank you, and good night." I closed the door and went over to the bed in the room. I laid down on it and thought about what the innkeeper said in her dying words. I would die twice, and be reborn. Would my death at the hands of the cult be realized, but what about the rebirth. Did that mean St. Marius taking over my body, and the death of my soul. I knew not where the souls went if they were killed by a cursed one. I fell asleep still wondering what would happen to me. 

I awoke in the middle of the night when alarms went off in the base. I ran to the speaker and called to Radr, "What's happening?"   
His monotone voice said, "VET, THE 'ROUTE OF RIGGE' IS ATTACKING THE INN. I HAVE SENT SOME OF THE GUARDIANS TO HELP THEM. AS FAR AS I CAN TELL, A DEMON IS LEADING THE ATTACK."   
I stepped away from the speaker and thought for a moment. If one demon was leading the attack, which one was leading, and where was the other. I was about to ask Radr about that, when I was hit from the side and knocked onto the bed. I started to scream when a claw was placed over my mouth. I recognized the face of my attacker. It was Oy. Hr looked at me and said, "It's time for me to take you up on your offer." I chill went through my body as I realized what he was going to do.   
I tried to shout again, but Oy then said, "Shut up. I need to mate, and you made the offer. This wouldn't have happened if your husband didn't kill my kid before it was born. Now I have to do it all over again, but I don't mind." I saw the wings fold out and around me. He held my head so I couldn't see what was happening, but I knew. I felt several talons cross my body, and I felt my body enjoying it. I was losing quicker than the innkeeper. My emotions started to give in and I heard Oy say, "It will soon be over, and I will have a kid."   
I was almost overcome by the emotions when a blast hit the demon, knocking him loose from me. My mind was in a daze, but I heard some guards shout, "Get out, or you will be a corpse."   
I saw the demon fly and say, "I was so close. I may never get a chance again." Nobody was going to touch me, I could tell. I was in that state my daughter described days ago. I didn't know how long it would last, but the demon caused it.   
It was some time later that my husband rushed in. He started to approach me, but I heard Radr yell, "SKIZ, DON'T TOUCH HER. WE STOPPED A DEMON FROM MATING AND WE DON'T KNOW WHAT STATE SHE IS IN. WE CAN ONLY WAIT FOR HER TO START MOVING."   
My husband didn't believe it. I heard him say, "Radr, we were fighting the demon, and the 'Route'. The demons couldn't have mated with her." He started to approach me. He wanted to cofort me, but I couldn't even speak.   
My daughter grabbed his arm and said, "Dad, Mom shouldn't be touched now. She is in a state of awaitment, and who knows how close it was to the end of the mating." He shook her arm free and he walked over to my side. He took my arm and I mentally went cold. 

When I awoke, everything hit me as a heavy weight. I started to cry. My husband came over to hold me, but I recoiled. He said in his caring voice, "Vet, what's wrong?"   
I looked through my tear filled eyes, and not seeing the children, I said, "What's wrong? For all of my life, I have been able to fend for myself. I never had to worry about being alone. When I heard about the prophecy, I was scared, but I was afraid to be with my children. I never let it show, but I was afraid. When the Succubi spell took hold, I felt helpless when I couldn't use my magic, and then I fell completely under it's control, I could control my own mind. Then, when the demon's attacked a few days ago, I could have fought back, but they hinderd all my abilities. Look at me, I used to be able to fight evil with ease, now I can't even walk five steps without falling over. And now this, I mean I wasn't in control of my body or my emotions. I was lucky to be saved when I was, but I couldn't stop it."   
"Vet, don't blame yourself. You can't help what happens to you by magic, or right now. The 'Route' seems to have intergrated itself into all the worlds. We might get lucky and avoid all attacks from now on. You have to remember, you are a survivor."   
"For how long?" I yelled. "The twin's birthday is coming up in a few days. They turn eighteen, and JaNa will kill me. I'm surprised she hasn't done so yet."   
"We don't know that it is JaNa. I have a plan to prove who the threat is? Are you listening?" I nodded and he continuted, "We will head to the temple, but when we get there, Isis will check the twins for the key. The one with the key will stay with me, and the other will go down into the center of the world with you. Is that Okay with you?"   
I had stopped crying and said, "Alright. Hon, what happened when you touched me earlier? I think my mind had shut down."   
He looked at me and nodded. "According to Radr, your mind did shut down. Your mind was still fighting the control the demon had over your body and emotions. You must have still been fighting it, as well as taking all visual and audio input. When I touched your, you mind couldn't handle it, and you had a fit of sorts. Radr says that it was similar to a condition that some of his men call epilepsy. If it wasn't for them, we would have been hurt by you."   
"Was I that dangerous?" He nodded and I said, "I'm sorry, but I didn't know what I was doing."   
"It's okay, but when we leave this world, it will be nearing night. I know my parents moved to a town that was founded in the former monster world. My mother said that we could stop by any time we need. Let's go." I let my husband help me up. We then got the chilldren and left the guardian base. It had been nightfall when we left the base, and we headed straight for the pillar of the sky. We slowly made our way to the pillar and headed for the Monster World.   
When we entered the Monster World, we approached the town. It was instantaniously that the people of the town started to approach us. I didn't like the looks of them, and I knew that I was the target when I heard them shout, "There she is, the one who killed the savior."   
I looked at my husband and said, "I think we better leave, before we get killed." He nodded and we ran for the pillar. I glanced back every couple of steps to see the crowd was keeping up with us. We returned to the celestrial world, and stopped at the Celestrial Inn. It was probably the only safe place we could find that would take us in. 

When I woke up in the morning, Skiz helped me up and we left for our next stop. We went to the former city of Venus. The last time I was there, I was transforming into a succubus. We entered the remains of the city. I could still see where the walls use to stand. Still on the ground were shards of the magical glass tower. As we continued to walk thorugh the town, I started to see people approaching us. I recognized the robes they were wearing. They were memebers of the 'Route'. I turned to my husband and said, "Skiz, the cult is approachng. I think we should leave." Before my husband could agree, the cult started to attack.   
"Capture the murderer. Don't let her escape," they shouted. Quickly, they attacked us. In no time, they knocked out both the children. I was surprised that they would attack their leader, unless they were under instruction to do so. Was it part of some plan to confuse me? After sometime, my husband was knocked out and the cult grabbed hold of me.   
The head of this group said, "We must take her to our temple." They all cheered and dragged me towards the northern part of town. I realized where there temple was. They hid it in the sewer. As the dragged me in to the sewer, the smell of waste assalted my nose. The sewer had gotten worse since the quest of the Magi.   
We eventually approached a door, and they through me in. They slammed the door shut, but I could still see out. I shouted out the door and said, "Who told you to do this?" I wanted to find out which child was betraying me, because I didn't think I would make it to the celestrial temple.   
The man guard turned to me and said, "The Annointed One told us to do that. They can't wait to kill you." He then laughed and left the door. I started to cry. Why was this happening to me?   
I paced in that room for what seemed like hours, until I heard fighting outside. I ran to the door and tried to see what was going on, but it was no use. After a short time, the fighting stopped and the door opened. KLar was at the door and he ran over and hugged me. "Mom, I'm so glad I found you. When I didn't see you, Dad suggested that we search for you. He went with JaNa, and I searched alone. I saw one of the 'Route' lurking around the sewers and I decided to follow him. He led me to here, and to you."   
I returned the hug and said, "Thank you, KLar, but let's get out of her, before more of the 'Route' arrive." We ran out of the sewers and met up with JaNa and Skiz. I hugged my husband and said, "We need to get out of this world."   
He looked at me and said, "We also need cash. While we were out cold, some thief robbed us. We only have about 100GP to our names." This was bad. When we left, we had enough money for the journey, now we needed the best of luck.   
It was then I remembered that the next world had the Dragon Race on it. I wondered if it was still going on. I looked at my husband and said, "What about the Dragon Race?"   
Skiz smilled at me and said, "Vet, you're a genius. I know it's a risk, but we can do it. Let's go." He led us back to the pillar and we headed for the next world. The Dragon Race was a risk for anyone. Since Apollo was eliminated, the races had taken on a new way of being handled. They were run in a series of races, the first four made the finalists, and then they raced. A good gambler could call each of the first four winners and of those four, the overall winner.   
When we reached the world, it was amazing. The pillar was on the far side of the track, and there was bridge over the track to the town. It was the whole size of the world. We crossed the bridge and went to the race building. I was about to say something when JaNa said, "Fireball is going to win the first race." I looked at JaNa and she said, "I think I have developed a sence of prediction."   
I was abit leary, but my husband decided to go with what she said. He walked over to the betting window and said, "100 on Fireball."   
The man looked surprised and said, "Are you sure? That's a 100 to 1 shot." My husband nodded, and the man gave us the ticket. We walked out to the track and watched the race. Early on, it appeared Fireball would lose. Then, a miracle happened. Fireball took off like there was no tomorrow. The dragon made it to the finish line, with time to run around the track two more times. We all cheered for joy. We let the winnings ride on the next race. We repeated that method for each race, and by the time it was over, we have over a million gold pieces   
Just as we were leaving the town, the man from the window started to follow us. I then noticed that he had an emblem on his shirt. I had seen it before. He was a member of the 'Route'. I turned to my husband and said, "Skiz, he's part of the 'Route'." My husband turned and was about to attack, when several more of the 'Route' appeared. Quickly, we ran for the pillar and returned to the Celestrial World.   
He looked at me and said, "I hope that this is the last attack. I don't know how much more we can take. We can't even rest anywhere." I was beginning to lose faith in the plan, but then I remembered something.   
I looked at my husband and said, "All we have to do is get to the Final World. Rich and Li will protect us." Skiz smiled and nodded. We then continued to the next world. We had to find someone to protect us The next world was the Shogun world, and Hana was there. Maybe she could help us. She had dealt with a gang called the Hamatatos when we were on the quest. When we entered the world, the Shogun's palace was shredded. The wood had been splintered, and the windows were cut to shreds. We headed over to the town near the Palace. We looked around and ran into Hana. She had moved her detective office to this town.   
When she saw us, she said, "Hello, it has been a long time since I have seen you, although you have chosen a bad time to visit. The Hamatatos have been acting up, and I have discovered that the new governor is funding them."   
When I heard that I knew what was happening. I turned to Hana and said, "I think that the Hamatatoes will be the least of your worries."   
"Why"   
There was a crash and several Hamatatos jumped into the building. We were caught completely off guard, and 20 to 4 were not good odds. The Hamatatos shouted "For the 'Route', we fight to help them." They easily knocked out all of them. I started to run for the door, but all of a sudden, one the Hamatatos pulled out a device. It looked like an Abacus, and that quickly, I collapse, right into the leader's grasp. Then, everything went black. 

When I came back to consciousness, I was hanging on one of the walls of a cave. I was held up by chains on my wrists, and there were many of the Hamatatoes there, as well as some cult members. The one that appeared to be the leader looked at me and said, "When the Annointed One arrives, you will be taken to your death."   
I looked at the leaded and shouted, "My familty will rescue me and protect me for your Annointed One."   
The leader just laughed and said, "They will be looking for you in the last world, not this one." I finally realized where I was. The last time I was here, my nightmares caused me to freak out. Now I was a prisoner in the Nasty Dungeon. The laughter had only made the fear worse. I closed my eyes and started to pray. When I opened them, he was right in my face and he said, "It is all going according to plan."   
I heard noise coming from the cave, but over all I heard one reassuring sound. "Vet, we're coming to help you." It was my husband, and my family, coming to save my life. Almost instantly, the cult and the Hamatatos ran, and my family entered the room I was in. My husband destroied the chains, but just as I was getting down from the wall, a cult member attacks. Quickly, my husband attacked and slayed the cult memeber. It was a monster. My husband quickly took a chomp out of the fiend and changed. He looked almost featureless until he approached me. He started to transform into my form. It was totally weird. He looked at me and said, "I think I have transformed into a doppleganger. I can transform into the person I'm closest to."   
"I think I understand, although it is a bit confusing." I had no doubt that the children were confused, but the one who would kill me would keep their distance. We then worked our way out of the dungeon. I looked at my husband and said, "Skiz, how did you find out I was here?"   
"Hana found a clue on the floor after the attack. It said about meeting the cult and their leader at the dungeon. Hana said there was no dungeon in her world, but I knew about this dungeon."   
JaNa then spoke up and said, "It wasn't until we heard your voice that we knew were to go." I had since started to doubt her, mainly due to the fact that everything we knew about who was going to kill me was point to her.   
It had taken a while, but we eventually left the dungeon and moved onto the next world. The next world was the world that had been known as Valhalla. On the clouds were the ruins of Odin's Palace, and due to the state it was in, the gap in the clouds had to be crossed by a bridge. The portible bridge that we used had no railings, so we had to be careful in crossing the gap. I was the last to cross, and as I crossed, I lost my footing. I was had slipped off the bridge and started to fall down to Pureland. JaNa grabbed my arm and said, "Hold on, Mom, I'll help you up." She was true to her word there, but I figure it was so she could kill me later. Then, a scary thought hit my mind. Could she have developed telepathy?   
As I got to my feet, Skiz said, "Don't worry, Vet. Our next stop is Li's Inn. We should be fine there." I hoped he was right, but as we traversed throught the Celestrial world to the Final World, I could only think of one thing. I started to think about Mask, and the fact that he was Rich's son. Would Rich lose his son today?   
When we entered the world, we went straight to the town, and entered the Inn. Li looked at us and yelled to the back, "Rich, come out here. We have company." Out of the back came Rich, with his two children following him.   
Rich looked over at us. He smiled and said, "How long has it been since we seen you?"   
I replied, "About six years has passed. How are your children?"   
Rich laughed and said, "Lena has just started to become a woman, and as for Max, he is soon going to have his ninth birthday." I looked at the little boy, and I could see how Mask was this same boy.   
The little girl looked at me and said, "Are you the one the faces are calling for?" I was taken back by what she said. I didn't even know what that even meant.   
Li turned to Rich and said, "I think you better show the others to their rooms." He nodded and motioned the rest of my family to their rooms. Li then took my arm and escorted me out of the Inn. She then said, "I'm sorry, but Lena was referring to the Dungeon of Souls, or the Final Dungeon. We found out that some of the faces are those of the Hani's victims. Some have asked about you, according to Lena."   
I was surprised by this. "Those faces asked for me." Li continued to lead me into the cave. I looked at those faces and started to wonder about it. We stopped and I looked around.   
All of a sudden, one of the faces spoke up and said, "Vet, is that you darling? It's me, your mother." It was her voice, and she continued, "Vet, becareful. St. Marius is waiting for you. One day, he will return, but you won't die." The face stopped speaking.   
All I could do was look at it. I was upset. My mother's soul was trapped in this dungeon. I almost said something when another voice spoke. "Vet, it's me, Jena. I've missed you, friend. Vet, don't believe the clues. They point to your death." The face the went silent. 

Li put a hand on my shoulder and said, "What does thiis mean?"   
I turned to face her and said, "The 'Route Of Rigge' has been trying to kill me. Their Annoited One is one of my children, but now, I not sure if it is JaNa or KLar." Li then escorted me back to the Inn, and showed me to the room that Rich had set aside for me and Skiz. I then fell asleep for the night. 

When we awoke in the morning, we left the Inn and headed for the Celestrial Temple. We entered and Isis was waiting for us. She looked at me and then said, "I had a feeling you were coming, Vet. I have heard about the 'Route' and ther attacks on you and your family. I also notice that you are wearing the Collar of Evil. Do not worry. I shall remove it."   
I looked at Isis and said, "Don't you need the key?"   
She looked at the children and said, "Yes, and the evil child is carring it." Skiz was right. Isis would know who had the key, and save me from that child. She walked over to the kids and held her hands infront of their faces. Soon, she reached into JaNa's pockets and pulled out the key.   
She looked surprised, even though it was faked. "I don't know how that got there."   
Isis unlocked the collar and removed it from me. "It will take you a while to return to your normal state, but JaNa shall pay for her evil." Isis put the collar on her.   
JaNa then screamed, "No! I was framed. I would never hurt my mother."   
Skiz turned to me and said, "Don't worry. You take KLar down. I will make sure JaNa doesn't try anything." KLar then walked over to me and we took the stairs down. We walked along the path to the location of where the Arsenal stood. They had been shut down for a while, and it was evident.   
I looked at the devices and said, "KLar, this was where the final battle of the Magi Quest took place."   
He looked out and said, "And was this where you entered the Mana Net?" I nodded and he then said, "Then, this is the end of the journey." He was still marvelling at the world.   
I then said, "Yes, but now we should head up. I don't want your father to die at the hands of JaNa, like the prophecy says."   
As I turned, I heard KLar said, "He won't, Mom. In fact, he's in less danger than you are." I finally understood what the spirits had said, and I felt something hit me, and all went black. 

When I returned to consciousness, I was tied up between the two Arsenal units, hands tied to one, feet to the other. I looked out and saw my son, and the demons Oy and Vey. When I saw this, I almost screamed, but I was gagged. My son walked over to me and said, "Mother, it has been so easy to trick you into believing JaNa was evil, but it is me who was the villian."   
I tried to yell at him, but he held up a knife and said, "Mother, please. St. Marius' spirit has to arrive, and then he can return. You know the 'Route' was easy to manipulate, and he knew it."   
Vey then said, "Yes. You see, we all know the truth about St. Marius. All the attacks that were made on you were part of the plan, except for my brother almost mating with you."   
Oy looked at me and said in a high voice, "Now your son has cast a spell on me. I can't mate anymore, and it's all your fault."   
My son looked at them and said, "Shut up." He then turned to me and said, "You know when JaNa got sick. That was because she fought the evil off, and it took over my body. Now, when St. Marius returns, he, or should I say you, and I will hunt down the third part of the evil and take over this world. And the guest of honor has arrived." I then saw the shade start to form.   
When it fully formed, I heard the voice of St. Marius say, "I said I would return. Start the ceremony." My son started to chant, and I realized that I was doomed. Then, everything changed.   
My husband came in, attacking each of the demons. My son started to speed up his chanting, but then JaNa ran over to the ropes and started to cut them. It was then that my son, thrusted the knife down. Just as it would have hit, Skiz jumped inbetween the knife and me, and the thrust killed him. "No!" KLar yelled. His wings had taken on a darker tone, and he flew into the air, with the demons in tow. He looked at us and said, "I shall win. Both of you killed him, and no place will be safe for you." He flew out of the temple. Isis was coming down and was almost hit by the fleeing evil.   
JaNa helped me up and said, "Do you believe me now?" I nodded and she then said, "Now what? Almost everyplace will turn us in to the 'Route'."   
Isis then looked at me and said, "There is a place where I can hide you, but I can't guarentee pure safety. It is a secret base in Ki's temple."   
I looked at Isis and said, "Can you transport us there?" She nodded and we were there in a instant. Now, I was a hunted person, and what about what the runes said? JaNa hugged me and I said to my daughter, "I fear this is not the end." 


	11. Dark Angel

Dark Angel   
A Story And Addendum For Memoirs Of The Heroes. (Previously "Memoirs Of An Adventure's Child."))   
(All Characters Are Ficticious And bare no resemblence to living people. Any resemblence to fictional characters is only by chance.) 

===================================================== 

It was a nice day when I took the kids into town. It was Lena's 16th birthday, and I decided to let her pick out her gift. My son, Max, was with us, looking to get a small protective weapon to train with. When Max turned 10, he expressed an intrest in adventuring. I thought that this was a good thing. When the third evil would come, I would need help. Lena already developed the ability to use Magic Scrolls. Only four years ago, Vet disappered, on a charge of murdering her husband. Isis never said anything about that, but I had suspicions. As we were leaving a dress shop, where Lena had just gotten a Powder Blue Magic Robe, when Max said, "Dad, 'Route' members are over there."   
We all looked in there direction and saw them. Then, Lena looked and said, "My goodness, they have captured KLar. We have to rescue him." After Vet and her family had visited us four years ago, Lena had fallen in love with him.   
I looked at my daughter and said, "We will follow them, but we have to be careful. I think that JaNa is working with the 'Route'."   
Max looked at me and said, "Why would she do that?"   
"Remember when I told you of St. Marius?" He nodded and I continued, "When he died, part of his spirit flew out into our world. When we returned, Vet was told that JaNa had fallen ill, and your mother told me of a prophecy about the children."   
"Do you think that JaNa had KLar capture?" Lena asked with concern. I nodded and she started to cry. I watched the cult head to the town hall. I motioned to my children to follow quietly and we followed. We entered the town hall and looked around. There was almost no sign of the cult.   
"Where have they gone?" I said as softly as I could. The town hall was a big building since the Magi Quest, but it never had any secrets to my knowledge. We proceded carefully, until I almost ran into the mayor of our city.   
He looked at me and asked, "Rich, what are you doing?"   
I looked at him and responded, "I'm sorry, your honor, but I have reason to believe that a friend of the family has been captured by some evil people."   
He looked puzzled and said, "Why would they be here?"   
My daughter quickly said, "We followed them here. I think they are going to kill him."   
The mayor looked at us and said, "If one of the heroes of Isis says that there is evil hiding in this building, I must trust them. The evil ones might come after me next. I hope you are successful." He left and we started to search the building.   
As we approached a stairway, Max called me and said, "Father, I hear voices down these steps." Lena and I ran over to him and listened carefully. As we stood there, we heard the voices speak.   
The first voice I heard was a high voice as it said, "I can't believe how the master managed to frame her. This way, we don't have to search for her as hard as we did before."   
The second voice, a deeper one responded, "You would not be talking like that if the spell wasn't cast on you. You did try and mate with the target, and this is your punishment." I then realized that these must have been the demons that Skiz told me about. I wanted to slit their throats, but I wanted to hear more.   
The first voice grumbled and said, "Well, she shouldn't have been so good looking."   
The second voice just said, "Brother, to you, a Medusa is good-looking." I finally decided that if we were going to get past these demons, we would have to disguise ourselves, particularly Lena. The last thing I wanted was my daughter to fall victim to a demon. The second voice then continued "Besides, the Annointed One has a way to overcome the failure." I then started to piece everything together. JaNa must have framed Vet when she killed her father by mistake, and now she had captured her brother.   
I looked at my daughter and said, "Lena, do you have an invisablity spell on you?"   
She looked in her booklet that she had made. Since her ability started, she had been looking for spells and gathering them in a book. "I have one that can hide us from all, and it mutes speech except to those who know us."   
"Good, cast it." She immediately cast the spell, and magic envelope was surrounding us. I then said, "This should keep us out of sight, but stick together." We then started down the steps. At the bottom, we saw the demons guarding a portal. We started to approach the door, when one of the demons stopped talking.   
It sniffed the air and said, "Hey Vey, do you sence the presence of a lady?" My head flooded with fear, and a look of fear crossed Lena's face when this was said. Would the spell work? Would my daughter be safe?   
The other looked around and said, "Oy, you moron, you must be dreaming. There is no female anywhere around here. Now watch for anybody, especially any of heroes of Isis." If only those demons knew I was right near them. We contined into the portal and started down some more steps.   
When we were about to reach the bottom, the pattern of a giant maze was in front of us. When I saw this, I said "Now what?"   
Lena looked through her book of spells. She was hoping she would have a spell to tackle this, but she didn't. Max was looking at the maze and saw something in the center. He turned to me and said, "Dad, I think that in the center of this maze is the temple."   
Lena then said, "Father, I think I have an idea. I could cast a temporary spell to let Max lead us through the maze. It is risky though."   
I didn't need to hear that. I gave her an eye of concern and said, "How risky?"   
My daughter would never lie to me. She looked me straight in the eye and said, "There is a good chance that I might fry his brain."   
I was almost ready to refuse that idea when Max said, "Let's do it. We need to save KLar, and I don't know of any other way." I wanted to argue, but I couldn't argue with them. They were right in their choices. Lena cast the spell and I watched as blue lightning shot into Max's head. He started to shake as if he were in fits, but in a few minutes, he was breathing normally.   
I looked at him and asked, "Are you alright?"   
He nodded and said, "I see the path through. Follow me, and be careful." He then led the way through the giant maze. After a while, he stopped and said, "Trap number one." In front of us was a checkboard pattern. I recognized what was on the red squares, Spawn-Seeds. These deadly plants were little pods, until a living being stepped on them. At that time, they would grow, engulfing the being, and quickly dissolve them.   
"Stay on the black squares," I said, and we carefully crossed the trap. When we were all across, we continued on until we hit another trap. This one was worse, for it was Trendrilians. The floor had four of them covering all but a thin line. By myself, I would have been able to cross, but Lena was not very agile. She would fall right into one, and they would kill her. Tendrillian were like flowers, except they had tendrels insted of pedals, and used them to constrict food to death.   
Lena looked at me and said, "I have a spell that can levitate us over the creatures." She recited the spell and we took to the air. In a few seconds, we had pasted the creatures. After a couple of more twists and turns, Max stopped us again. We looked around and saw nothing.   
Max just eyes the walls and said, "Lasers, intense enough to destroy anything." I couldn't see them, but then Lena chanted a spell, and a fog arose. I finally saw the laser beams. They were at different angles, and spots in the wall. We slowly made our way though the laser beams, avoiding their deadly touch. When we passed by the lasers, we headed deeper into the maze. Eventually, I noticed that we were approaching a hall of crystals. "Pain crystals. They are designed to harm anyone one not of the cult."   
"Apparently, JaNa had no intention of us getting this far if we discovered the cult. I think that she plans to have us dead by now. Is there any way we can get past them with out being killed." Pain crystals were very dangerous. These deadly magical devices would cause pain in any being that would kill a person.   
Lena looked in her book of spells and smiled. "Maybe a Wall spell can help. It should create a barrier between us and the crystals." I nodded for us to try it, and she cast the spell. I could see the glow of the wall's borders. We started to advance through the hall, as a time passed, the wall started to fade. Just as we reached the end, the wall fell, and the magical pain crystals started their evil magic. We ran quickly to the end of the tunnel, and survived. As we left the hall, we saw the temple room. We had reached the center of the maze. We found a hiding spot, just in case the illusion spell wore off.   
As we watched, the cult started to enter. It appeared that they were preparing for something big. I noticed that a large group was there. I didn't think we had a chance of defeating them, but we could bring back reinforcements. I also noticed that Lena was getting very worried. She turned to me and said, "Dad, will we be able to rescue KLar?"   
I was about to answer when all the cult started to chant. Something was happening, something big. Soon, to my surprise, KLar appeared, in the cults robes. He held up his hands and said, "My children, be seated." I looked at my children, and they shared the same look I had, that of shock. KLar then continued his speech. "As you all know, the savior's murderer is still at large, and in order to bring our savior back, we must kill her. Now, after searchining for years, we have found the Orb of Spirits. In no time, our savior shall return to the living. But now, we must hold his spirit in the orb."   
I listened as KLar started chanting something. Almost as soon as he had started, a glowing form went down to orb. The whole cult started chanting two words I hoped never to hear again. The whole cult was chanting the name of St. Marius. I hoped that that vile being was dead, but now I understood why Vet was in hiding. The cult wanted her dead. Finally, I head the evil voice of St. Marius speak from the orb. "My children, I have only partially return. Find the evil being that killed me, and her soul shall be placed in this sphere."   
Lena looked at me and said, "Dad, we must warn the mayor. He should know about this." I nodded and we slowly got up. Just as soon as we got up, I felt a hand on my shoulder.   
I looked up to see the face of the mayor, but I realized that he had been a part of this cult. He yelled out, "Annointed One, there are followers of Isis here. We must kill them." All of a sudden the cult started in our direction.   
With a quick blow, I knocked out the mayor and we started to run for the maze. I heard St. Marius exclaim, "Stop them. They will ruin everything." At that moment, I knew that the only thing left to do was to ask Isis for her help. It was then I realized that I had one item to help us out of this mess. I reached into my pack and pulled out the round object. I put it to the wall, and the mystical Door appeared.   
I opened the Door, and yell to Lena and Max, "Children, into the Door. We're going someplace safe." The cult was closing in on us and I followed my children through the Door. As it closed, the whole thing disappeared, unable to be opened again, and we were in our house. I turned and faced my wife.   
Li looked at me and said, "Rich, what's wrong?"   
I put my hands on her shoulders and said, "Pack, we are no longer safe here. St. Marius is back, and he is part of the 'Route Of Rigge.' The mayor was part of the cult. We leave immediately for Isis." My wife ran out to the room we had and started to pack. Once we were set there, we had to find Vet. If she was captured by the 'Route', her life was over. 


	12. Renewal

Renewal   
A Story And Addendum For Memoirs Of The Heroes. (Previously "Memoirs Of An Adventure's Child."))   
(All Characters Are Ficticious And bare no resemblence to living people. Any resemblence to fictional characters is only by chance.) 

===================================================== 

It has been a little over four years since my brother killed our father, and my mother and I had to go into hiding. My skills have slowly begun appearing, and I have started to use them more and more so I could stop my brother. I still remembered the day I had fallen ill when we were just four. My brother, KLar just looked at me, and silently laughed. Over the years, he orchestrated things to happen so that both my mother and father thought I was evil. Now, he was the head of the 'Route of Rigge', whose sole purpose in life is to kill my mother and bring back the Hani. As of recently, I started developing some of the beast abilities, such as a scream to knock out people. I had approached my mother with an idea only days ago. It was to search out the 'Route' and stop my brother. She had suggested to me about wearing a cloak of white, even over my white wings, to give the appearence of a banshee. I wore a mask over my face to hide my identity from people, and over the past few days, I became known as the White Wraith by local in the area. I had discovered that more towns had appeared in our world, full of monsters, and since I appeared to be one, they never threatened me. I enforced their laws and became an icon of justice.   
As I was returning back to the entrance to where my mother and I had lived for the past years, I saw a troop of monsters, and the 'Route', dragging my mother's unconscious body out. How did they find us? Isis had said we would be safe in that sancutary. Instantly and instinctively, I flew down with a scream. In the panic, I heard half the monsters scream, "The White Wraith attacks us. Something is wrong. Is the 'Route' evil, or is the woman evil?" I had apparently become a good icon of justice.   
I swooped down to so I could shout at them, but then one of the 'Route' members flew straight at me. I started to swerve out of the way, but they hit me in the stomach, sending me backwards. When I stopped, the member removed his hood. I instantly recognized my brother, KLar. He said in a cocky tone, "Hello JaNa, I was hoping to run into you. Ever since these monsters told me about the White Wraith, I figured it was you."   
"Don't think I am letting you get away with Mom, KLar. I know you can't threaten to kill her, for you need her." He just smiled. I wanted to give him what he deserved.   
"I know that, JaNa. She has to be killed in the right place, the sacred place, but you can't stop us, or else." He didn't scare me, and he couldn't intimidate me.   
"Or else, what? You don't scare me. There is nothing you can do that can stop me." He nodded and one of the other 'Route' members pulled out a small silver box. The pushed something on the box.   
"Sister, dearest," he said in a villianish tone, "you have one minute to get to Ki's Temple and save Lynn. A bomb, placed at the corner of the foundation, is going to go off, and all those people are going to die." I saw he wasn't joking, but until now the 'Route' would have never attempted this. I had no choice but to save Lynn. I flew towards the temple, and left my brother to take my mother away. As I approached the temple, I heard the explosion, and it started to collapse. I flew into the temple and saw all the people running. I grabbed Lynn, and one of her attendants, and flew out of the temple. As I left the temple, it collapsed, and I knew there were some people still inside.   
Lynn looked at the temple as it collapse and asked, "Who would do such a thing?"   
As I place Lynn and her attendant down, I removed my mask and said, "My brother." Lynn had looked shocked when she saw my face, and heard that KLar had done this.   
Lynn finally spoke by saying, "You mean that the 'Route' is behind this. Is your mother dead?"   
"No. My mother was taken by the 'Route'."   
"It might be your own fault."   
"What?" How could Lynn accuse me of allow this.   
"If you are the White Wraith, and your brother deduced this, he could have tracked her down due to the town's stories." I then realized that she was right. My hopes to hunt down my brother put my mother's life in danger. I almost wanted to end my life, but then remembered how many people would be in trouble if St. Marius was brought back to life, and if he had mom's body. I shuddered at that thought.   
I faced Lynn and asked, "What should I do?"   
She thought for a moment and told me, "Go to the Final World and see Rich. He may know what to do." I nodded and took to the sky. I just wondered how much time I had. 

It had taken me hours to fly to the pillar, and to cross the celestrial world. When I finally reached the Final World. I remembered the Inn where Rich and his family lived. I entered the Inn and saw that it had been vacated. I didn't know where they had gone, but something told me that the 'Route' was invovled with their disappearence. I started examining the place, when I heard a noise. I turned to face one of the 'Route' members. Instantly, the member of the 'Route' attacked me. The attack was brief, since I knocked them down with a scream. I walked over to the cult member and removed their hood. I was sickened to see who wore it. It was the guy I had dated at home. All the time I had known him, he said he wasn't a member of the 'Route'. He just looked at me, and said, "Surprised, love." He had backhanded me, and I flew right into the wall. In seconds, he was on top of me. "Your brother told me you would be around. Now we can catch up on old times."   
He had grabbed my mask and removed it. I looked at him and said, "When did you join the cult?" I was upset at him for even joining the cult.   
He brought his face closer to mine and said, "I always was a member, from the day of my birth. If you want to know, it was your brother's idea for me to date you. I was perfect for the job."   
I suddenly couldn't speak straight. I fumbled for my words and couldn't help but notice my breathing increased. "W-why i-is th-that?" He then kissed me, and for some reason, I was enjoying it.   
"It is because that I have the magical ability to charm. How do you think you fell in love with me the first time." He kissed me even deeper, and said, "I could do this to any woman, but you were chosen for a reason. Now, I get to keep you out of the way until the full moon, and I think you will want to do something intimate."   
He was right. His charm ability was working its evil on me. I wanted to stay with him until time ended, but I couldn't fail Mom. I then realized that he was kissing me with passion. I had to stop this, and soon. Fighting with all my might and will power, I brought my knee up to hit him right were it counted. He doubled over in pain, and I knocked him off his feet and grabbed my mask. I flew out the door and off to the pillar. As I had left the Inn, I could see some of the 'Route' running toward the Inn. Apparently, I was supposed to by my old boyfriend's side. Just as I had reached the pillar, I could see the demons coming after me. I flew as fast as I could and made it to the pillar, with no time to spare. I thought about it for a moment and realized that I had only two days to rescue my mother, but were could she be. I reached the Celestrial Temple, knowing that Isis could find Rich, and collapsed at the door. 

************************************************* 

When I awoke, I saw Isis standing over me. I then realized that I had been asleep. Was it too late to save Mom? I looked at Isis and said, "How long have I been asleep?"   
The goddess put her hand on my shoulder, and I felt relaxed. She then said, "Only for 10 hours, and we have to hurry. The full moon is 10 hours away. If you don't hurry, you will lose your mother to St. Marius."   
"How? I thought that could only be done at the place of his death, at the Mana Net."   
I heard my mother's friend, Rich, speak. "Apparently your brother has a device that can hold St. Marius' spirit. After seeing the ceremony only a few days ago, I brought my family here."   
Isis then said, "What the 'Route' has is a Spirit Sphere. It captures a spirit and during a special ceremony, it exchanges a soul with the spirit, but on a full moon, it seperates the main elements of the being." I didn't like the sound of that.   
"What exactly do you mean by 'seperates'?"   
"The ceremony seperates the person into all eight of their components, Fire, Earth, Water, Air, Mind, Magic, Spirit, and Body. If there is not a vessel for each, the being dies without death."   
I shook as I said the next words. "What does that mean?"   
"It means your mother will no longer exist. When you die, she will not be there. When the world ends, she will not be there. It will be as if she was never born." I was horrified by what Isis had just said. It sounded like there was no reason to life. I was scared to think that was the case. "You don't have long to save your mother."   
Rich then spoke up. "If I know St. Marius, he will keep all aspects of her alive. If each of her components hold a fraction of the powers that she possess, he will want to control all of them." Isis had a look of fear on her face. I knew of all the power's Mom had, and eight beings with that power was a dangerous thought.   
I grabbed the mask from were Isis had laid it, put it on and said, "Then let's hurry. My mother doesn't have much time. We have to get to the temple." Isis shook her head and sighed.   
"The ceremony can only be held at the place of the Sphere's creation. That is on the top of the Palace of the Ancients."   
Rich looked at her and said, "Where is that?"   
"It is what you now call, the Ancient Ruins." My hopes collapsed at that moment. I had been close to where they had taken Mom, and left the area. Time was against us. Rich, his children, Li, and myself then rushed off. We had less than half a day to reach her. 

When we finally arrived in my homeworld, I noticed that night was approaching. The cult had sent resistence to detain us, and now we had under two hours to get to the Ancient Ruins, and get to the roof. I led the way to the temple, and it didn't take us much time to reach the ruins. Apparently, my brother was not expecting me to get past all the guards. We all entered the ruins, traveling up the stairway. As we headed up, there was a flash, and I felt a hand drag me into a room. As I recovered my sight, I was looking into the eyes of my so-called boyfriend. He had an evil grin on his face, and he said, "Miss me." I was starting to have trouble standing.   
I looked at him and spat in his face. "There is no way you and your evil cult is going to stop us." He put his arms around me, and pulled me close to him. I tried to resist, but couldn't.   
"You are mistaken. It is your mother, and yourself that is evil. I know you won't be saved like everyone else will be. I thought you might like a last chance at happiness." I tried to get away, but he got closer. He smiled that evil smile of his again and started to kiss me. Almost instantly, my thoughts returned to normal, and a shocked look was on hid face. I then saw Lena, Rich's daughter standing behind him.   
"Lucky I had a Death spell, I hoped I would never have to use it, but it appears I had to." She looked a bit upset.   
I walked over to her and said, "Thank you, I was defenseless. But we must hurry, or we might all be killed." She nodded and we ran out of the room. I had rejoined with everyone and we continued to the top of the ruins. We had just reached the top of the ruins when a whole line of cult members ambushed us.   
My brother looked in our direction and smiled. He said, "You're too late. The time has come, and St. Marius is going to return." I then noticed that seven Elbiots were around my mother, and the Spirit Sphere was above her head. This was also when the ambush had turned into a full fledged fight. It didn't take us long to find out the outcome, because there was flash of light, and my mother's scream.   
Just as soon as the scream ended, the cult stopped and my mother stood up. She looked at us and said in strange voice, "I have returned." I then knew that my brother had succeeded. The Elbiots flew off to were ever they called home. "Now, for all of you, I have a special treat, your death's." I saw a fireball, so large that it would leave nothing behind of our bodies, form. It was then that Lena casted a spell and everything changed over to the Celestrial Temple.   
Isis turned to us and said in surprise, "Where is Vet?"   
I couldn't say it, but Rich found the strength to answer the question. "In seven Elbiots, and her body is host to St. Mairus." She sighed, and Rich continued, "It won't take long for him to get here, so we better leave."   
Isis sighed and said, "There is only one safe haven from the Elbiots. The ancient droids cannot reach the Dimensional Hub. Besides, we can find out were all of the Elbiots will head."   
Li, Rich's wife, asked Isis, "How can we find that out?"   
Isis then said something that sent a chill in all our bones. "Rotat is there. The mystical seer can answer the questions, but once he answers them, we must leave." She then waved her arms, and we floated upwards from the Celestrial Temple, but how far would we float? 


	13. Writen In Stone

Writen In Stone   
A Story And Addendum For Memoirs Of The Heroes. (Previously "Memoirs Of An Adventure's Child."))   
(All Characters Are Ficticious And bare no resemblence to living people. Any resemblence to fictional characters is only by chance.) 

===================================================== 

As Isis took us up to the Dimensional Hub, I could swear that time wasn't passing at all. It seemed that only two days had passed since we had left the Celestrial Temple. When we finally arrived, I looked around and said, "Isis, can we eat?" I was famished, as was my parents and brother. Even JaNa appeared hungry, but there was something different about her.   
Isis looked at us and said, "I think that would be best, Lena. We have not eaten for two years." I was shocked by this. Two years had passed since KLar had succeeded. That meant that another two years would pass until we returned. Four years that KLar, St. Marius and the Route of Rigge would have to control the world.   
My father looked at Isis and said, "Why didn't you mention this when we headed up here?"   
Before Isis could reply, a man in a strange suit appeared. He said, "Because she knew you would object. It has been what, 5000, 10000 years, Isis. You have a question about your path."   
Isis bowwed in reverence and said, "Yes, Rotat. Can you help us?" She was actually afraid of this entity. This entity knew the future of the entire world, and could tell anyone what they where going to do.   
The figure turned and walked into a doorway. We followed him, and Max came over to me. "Lena, do you think he can tell us about our futures?" I rolled my eyes. He had heard the stories as well as I had.   
"Max, according to legend, he is even older than our world. There are some who say Rotat is older than time itself."   
"I thought time began when the world began."   
"Father told us that Vet dreamed of past lives. So Rotat could have seen those worlds that occured before ours."   
JaNa then said, "Do you think that might be the case? That one my mother's past lifes was in another timeline."   
My mother then said, "That depends on the timeline. One timeline supposedly had some individuals that could not enter the realm of spirits because of there lifes were so tragic, or evil."   
When we finally entered the door, I noticed that everyone was sitting on the floor and Isis was standing on the center of an eight pointed star. As we sat down, Rotat walked over to a panel. It was black and bordered in gold. I watched as a light shined one the star, and then on the panel. The panel changed into an image. The image was a man pointing to the ground with one hand, and pointing a wand skyward. There was a sign over the head, like an eight on its side. In front of the man, there was a table with a cup, a sword, a wand of sorts, and a coin with a star on it. Rotat look at it and said, "The Magician is your objective. I can see the eight seperate parts of the Magician. Is that your lost member?"   
JaNa spoke up. "Yes. That's my mother. What more can you tell us?"   
Rotat said, "There are many parts of this fortune." The image changed to a hand from the clouds. In the hand was a sword pointing skyward. "This means that your first part is to the World of Air, ravaged by the harsh winds."   
My father then said, "Where is the next part?" The image changed to an angel with a horn and spirits standing in boxes.   
Rotat looked at it and said, "Judgement. This must stand for the realm of Spirits. The second step will be the land of the dead, beyond the Final Passage. But, there is more." The image faded and changed to a man, upside down on a wooden tee. "The Hanged Man, the sign of a meeting, with someone from the past most likely."   
JaNa had a look of hope on her face and said, "Father's spirit, but why?"   
Rotat then said, "The dead know about the future to a point. It may be a warning about something. That is usually what the image of The Hanged Man means." The image then changed again. The hand had returned, holding a coin with a star on it. "The Ace Of Pentacles. This means that the third step of the journey is into the World of Earth. This can be very dangerous." The panel then changed again, this time revealing a woman standing over a lion. "Strength. This might signify the power of the chaos of that world. Quake are always changing the lay of the land."   
My mother then said, "Rotat, where will the fourth part take us?" She was a bit worried. I thought that being away from the world for what would be four years was the problem.   
Rotat looked at her and said, "You have right to worry." The image changed to that of a man on a chair, being drawn by two sphinxs. "The Chariot. That must mean that you will travel into the Mana Net. But, there is a problem." The picture changed again, into the form of a man on the ground. Ten swords were in his back. "The Ten of Swords, which means a loss in the family. My guess is that one of the family that is in Isis' group with die, or disappear." I didn't like the sound of that.   
My brother said, "You mean that my sister, my parents, or myself might die, or worse?" Rotat nodded. I couldn't bear losing any member of my family, and neither could Max.   
Rotat just said, "The loss may be death, and it may not be." The shock was still evident, but Rotat continued on with prediction as the image change. Now a hand holding a cup of water was on the panel. "The Ace of Cups, which means you will head to the World of Water." The image changed to that of man sitting in a chair, holding an Anch. "The Emporer. This can only mean that you will enter the world of the Mind after that."   
My mother said, "The world of the Mind, but that doesn't exist, does it?"   
Isis then said, "I didn't think it did."   
Rotat then said, "After you came here with your father, and the evil Ancients were stopped, a strange event occured. A giant metal mass started to form, and orbit the same path you took to get here."   
My father then said, "I wonder if that explains all the disappearing robots over the course of our world, as well as some missing people."   
My mother then said, "I remember Ki telling me about some of the Ancient texts and how they described abductions by strange beings. These beings were part organic, part robotic, and had a crystaline structure around their bodies. Anyone abducted was never seen again."   
Rotat then said, "That is the home of those beings, but now they are in hiding. But something is strange there." The image changed to a horned creature sitting in a chair. There was a star in it's horns and two people at the chair's base. "You will gain an ally, who is an enemy of Isis. That is what The Devil image means."   
Isis looked scared and said, "One of the evil Ancients."   
"He cannot harm you. He is bound by a higher evil, and is probably helping you for it's benefit." To me, this seemed very illogical. The panel changed into a new image. This image had that of an eight pointed star in the sky. "The Star. This must mean that the solutions to the realm of Mind is illogic. The answer must make no sense."   
I looked at the card and said, "It must be something totally strange to confound a computeristic mind."   
"Yes. You must use logic against it. Now for the next part of your quest." The panel changed images again, and a hand in the clouds was holding a wooden rod. "The Ace of Wands, which is the sign of Fire. You will enter the World of Fire, and it will take all of your skills to survive this trial." The image then changed to a man holding a scales and a sword.   
My mother then said, "Does that mean the battle with the forces of evil?"   
Rotat then said, "Correct. That is the image of Justice. This is the deciding conflict. As with all conficts of this magnatude, there is one outcome." The image changed to that of a skeleton on a horse. "The Death Image, which stands for change. Like this, it means that there will be a change for the better."   
Isis then said, "Then everything will return to normal." She sighed and I noticed that the panel was changing again. This time, a pillar appeared. Rotat gasped, and at that time, everyone was in shock. This surprised us all. Isis asked, "What does this mean?"   
Rotat just said, "The Tower means death. Somewhere after this quest, you will join your father, permanently." Isis jumped out of the circle and ran out of the room. My family and JaNa ran out to follow her.   
I walked over to Rotat and asked, "Sir, can you tell me about my future?" He nodded and I walked into the circle. I was incircled by the light and I saw the panel change. The image changed to a woman holding one of the Pentacles.   
"The Queen of Pentacles. An intelligent and brilliant woman. This could stand for you, or for someone you will encounter. The panel must reveal more in the next image." The image changed again. This time, it became an arc of ten cups, but it was upside down. Rotat just looked at it and said, "Reversed Ten of Cups. No image I have had on this panel has been reversed. Leave now." He chased me out of the circle and out the door. He slammed it shut.   
My mother walked over to me and said, "What happened?"   
"He said the image was reversed." I was scared at what that meant.   
Isis just looked grimly and said, "We must go. The longer we stay, the more havoc that the 'Route of Rigge can cause." She then started our trip to the world far below us. The images I saw meant something, but I couldn't determine what? 


	14. Ill Wind

Ill Wind   
A Story And Addendum For Memoirs Of The Heroes. (Previously "Memoirs Of An Adventure's Child."))   
(All Characters Are Ficticious And bare no resemblence to living people. Any resemblence to fictional characters is only by chance.) 

===================================================== 

I looked on in horror as we finally approached the world. My temple had changed. It was a darker shade than it had been. Even the celestrial world was dimmed in light. The evil of the 'Route' had taken over the world. I had thought that my people would fight them. I heard Rich remark, "This is awful."   
JaNa then said to me, "Isis, how could this have happened? Could my brother have done all this." I think she knew that he could have, but with St. Marius using her mothers body as vessel, it could be said that it was St. Marius' work.   
I looked at her and said, "Yes, but hopefully, there are some worlds still free. I can't believe that the cult is in control of everyone. With luck, we can get to the World of Air without resistance."   
Lena then said, "Do have a plan if were spotted?" I looked at her and she just pointed down. I glanced to where she was pointing and saw two figures standing at the door to the temple. I saw the black wings of KLar, and the red hair of Vet's body. KLar was pointing up and I knew that they saw us.   
Vet's hands started to glow and Li shouted, "Brace yourselves. St. Marius is going to attack." A green ball of energy started to fly toward us. St. Marius had used Vet's Force magic. When it struck us, we all went flying. I used my magic to brace our fall. If we would have hit the world at this moment, we would have died. I looked around and saw that we weren't far from the path to the world of Air.   
I stood up and said, "Hurry, we have to get to the path, before any of the cult approach." As we started to run for the path, the two demons, Oy an Vey, attacked. KLar had also flown around, which meant St. Marius was not to far away. One of the demons started to fly straight at me. I saw as more of the cult was approaching.   
The cult was advancing when I heard Vet/St. Marius say, "Give up, Isis. Your time is up. All of your loyal people are dead." I didn't believe it. St. Marius was trying to make me give up. I knew Radr wouldn't give up. I raised my hand and casted a blind spell. I saw that every one had grabbed at their eyes. They couldn't see.   
I looked at my group and said, "Hurry, now is our chance." We all ran onto the Mana path, and we started to run to the Air World. I watched as the stars shot by. In no time, we were at the door to the world of Air.   
As we caught our breath, Max said, "How long were we on there?" I under stood why he said that. Last time we took a trip like that, we were away from the world for four year.   
I comforted him and said, "No time has passed. Mana paths were constructed for speedy access to all parts of the worlds. This is the same stuff that the Pillars of Sky are made of."   
I saw the look of confusion on Rich's face. "Is this the same stuff in the Mana Net?" I knew what he was hinting at. Radr could travel on the Pillars, but not in the Mana Net.   
I shook my head and said, "This stuff is a hybrid of the Mana Net, so that anything can travel safely on it."   
Li looked back toward the Celestrial world and said, "Then why aren't the cult following us." I was concerned about this as well.   
It wasn't until JaNa spoke that I realized the answer. "It's because they have someone over here already. The Elbiot with my mother's Air Component in it." I nodded in agreement and then she said, "Then let's stop it. I want my mother back." Her voice didn't sound as an adventurer at the time. It had more of the sound of a little girl.   
I openned the door and we all entered the world. Instantly we felt the gusts of wind pulling us to the edge of the cloud the door was on. It was not a large cloud, but we could all stand on it. I looked at our group and said, "We need to fly to the Cloud Tower in the distance. That is the only building in the Air World. I can carry one person with me. JaNa can you carry Max." She nodded and I turned to Lena and said, "Do you have a flight spell?"   
Lena paged through a book and said, "Yes." I was glad for that. Something told me that we all needed to fly over there, and that JaNa couldn't handle carring more than one person. I also knew that the spells I had would only alow me to carry many people over a vertical distance.   
Li then said, "I'll go with her." This had meant that I was to take Rich. We then all took flight. It took us about an hour to fly there. During that time, Li said, "Isis, why is sky pitch black below us."   
I answered Li's question and everyone gasped. "Below us, in the dark sky, is a gateway to the land of demons. If anyone of us were to fall in, it would mean the end of our lives. These gateways lead to the Elementals, a special breed of demons. They each have a power of an element, and the element worlds is where they draw their power. The main demon world is always attacked by the Elementals, which is why the demons escape into our world."   
JaNa looked at me and said, "Would they attack us here?" I understood her fear. I shook my head and she looked releived. After a long silence, we reached the cloud tower.   
When I openned the door of the tower, a strong gust of wind started to blow. I realized what it must be. "The Wind creatures have been gathered into the tower. We must fight our way up." As we worked our way up. The Wind creatures had increased their attacks.   
Just as we were about to reach the first roof, a Wind creature came up behind us. It spun so fast that a gust of wind hit us. "My sword," yelled Rich, and I turned to see his sword flying away, as well as Li's and Max's. I then saw another Wind creature appear and swallow the swords. It then started to spin, pulling us towards it gaping maw. In it, I saw the swords spinning.   
JaNa looked at the creature and said, "We'll be cut to shreads if we don't do something." She started to flap her wings and hold us back, but the creature increased it's spin. "I can't fight it." She then collapsed to the floor and the wind started to drag her toward it.   
"No." Max yelled and grabbed her, trying to keep his balance. "I won't let you die." I saw it in his eyes. I saw that he cared for her, that he loved her. I then saw Lena cast a spell. I didn't hear it, but all of a sudden the wind came to a stop.   
Lena looked at me and said, "Calm spell, but it won't last long." We left the area, recovering our weapons, and went to the first roof. On the roof, I saw the gap between the two towers. Lena then said, "I think my mother and I should stay behind. I can keep the wind's calm, and mother can protect me."   
I turned to JaNa then and said, "Are you up to the rest of the trek?" She nodded and I then said to Li and Lena, "Be careful, fall into this gap and you fall into the demon world." Afterwords, I grabbed Rich, and JaNa grabbed Max.   
When we reached the door to the second part, JaNa looked at Max and said, "Thanks for saving me." I saw the look in her eyes, and could tell that she was falling in love with him.   
We enter the second part of the tower, and I heard footsteps. With the footsteps, I heard a growl. I turned to the group and softly said, "I don't like the sound of that."   
Rich looked at me and said, "What is it, Isis?" He had talked a little softer than he usually did, but the roar told me that Rich had been heard.   
"An Ancient, and Isis no less. The hunt is on. When she dies, Air will rule her world." The words had bellowed through the building and I was scared. I started to run through the tower, working to get to the top.   
Max looked at me as his father, JaNa and he followed and said, "What is it?"   
I didn't dare look back, but stayed alert. "A Fiend. When the Ancient's fought one another, the Elemental Fiend's of our realm became corrupt, attacking good and evil in hunts. There are four in total, the one that hunts us is Byak-Ko, the White Tiger, Fiend of Air."   
"Why haven't they attacked in so long?" Rich asked.   
"Because, they had been trapped in the World of the tower, which I had sealed off. That can only mean that they were defeated, and that that world has returned to light. Now we will nead Vet's Air Essence to help us defeat him." We eventually reached the second roof. There was a gap to the central chamber, where the Elbiot would be, but we had to get there. I had started to cast a flight spell when a blast hit my back, knocking me to the edge of the gap. I stared right at the White Tiger as he advanced, to knock me to my doom.   
"This day has been a long time coming. The ancient's must die. The prophecy states so." I was about to ask what prophecy when a loud shreek stunned Byak-Ko. I saw the JaNa was using her screaming ability, and Max was attacking the beast.   
Rich helped me up and said, "We have to get Vet's Essence to help them." I nodded and flew the two of us to the central chamber. When we entered, the room was draped in white. I saw the Elbiot at the far wall.   
It raised it's arm to fire on us, but then, the featureless face changed and appeared to look like Vet. It was all white, but it said, "Isis, don't strike the brain. My essence is trapped in here. Strike the machine's mind." I knew what that ment. Then the face disappeared and the voice of the Elbiot said, "The Elboit of Air shall whirl you out of existance."   
Just as it was about to fire on us, a cloaked figure attacked it. Rich ran to stop the attack. The attacker was aiming for the Elbiot's head. All the figure yelled was, "For the master, I shall kill you, and the Elbiot." I didn't know who was attacking, but the voice sounded familiar.   
As they fought, I ran over to the Elbiot and held out my staff. I rammed it right into the chest, where the Elbiot's main processor was. I remembered that the Elbiot's mind was were a being's heart would be, but it's memory was in it's head. The voice on the Elbiot change, as did the face, to that of Vet. She looked at me and said, "Disconnect the head, and my Air Essence will be safe." I did as she said, knowing that she would know how to preserve her Essence. Soon the head started floating on its own.   
Rich then said, "I managed to stop our unknown attacker, but take a look at her face." I walked over to the cloaked form and saw the face. Half was covered in metal, part of which had a crystal like strand through it, but the remaining part of the face I recognized. He noticed my face and said, "You know her. Who is she?"   
I didn't answer, but lead him out the door. We returned to the rooftop where Byak-Ko was fighting JaNa and Max. He was about to get the upper hand when I said to Vet's Air Essence, "Your powers over Air can stop him." She appeared to understand, and all of a sudden, Byak-Ko disappeared.   
JaNa looked over at us and cried, "Mom?"   
I just looked at her and said, "Only part of her. Now we better get Li and Lena and head back for our world. I know where to go for the next part." We headed down and got the rest and then set out on the long trip back.   
On the way, Rich asked me, "Who was that, or better yet, what was that?"   
I looked at them and said, "Crystoids. They appeared along time ago when some of the Ancients, in an attempt to defeat the Evil Ancients, and the Fiends, combined there bodies with robots, becoming Cyborgs. This cost them their magic abilities, until a Magic crystal was grown and bound to each one. They became known as Crystoids at that time. Crystoids cannot reproduce, so they abduct people, making them immortal and merging them with their now evil leader. They cannot refuse the will of the evil and slowly they forget their lives without the leader and bretherin. The one that you killed, Rich, was my older sister, Gaia." I saw the looks on all their faces. They were shocked. I then said, "They started to become sighted in abductions when the metal mass appeared. Some legends claim that is their home."   
Rich then said, "And since they attacked the Air Elbiot, they must view all of Vet as a threat. I wonder if they have attacked St. Marius at all, since he is in Vet's body." I had wondered that as well, but we would have to hope that if they did, they wouldn't succeed. We had to get to the Final Passage, to rescue Vet's Spirit Essence. 


	15. Facing Fears

Facing Fears   
A Story And Addendum For Memoirs Of The Heroes. (Previously "Memoirs Of An Adventure's Child."))   
(All Characters Are Ficticious And bare no resemblence to living people. Any resemblence to fictional characters is only by chance. Special Thanks to Howard Phillips Lovecraft) ===================================================== 

After recovering my mother's Air Component, we had returned to the path to the Celestrial World. Almost instantly, we arrived back at the Celestrial World. Judging by the inactivity in the area, something was happening. I decided to ask, "Isis, where is the Final Passage located?"   
Isis, who started moving through the Celestrial World said, "The Final Passage is located in the Underworld of Pureland."   
I noticed that Rich had thought of something. He then said, "Isis, that was where Odin's world was located above. Did he choose that land for that reason?"   
Isis then said, "Odin was just one of several evil Gods that invaded Pureland. He kept our dead from going to the final passage, giving them immortality, as it made him stronger. That was why I felt it nesessary to disconnect Pureland from our world. If they realized the power he was claiming, this world would have been destoried." Isis stopped talking and glanced in a direction.   
We all realized why no one was searching for us. It appeared that they were preforming an execution. Horror took over my mind when Max said the name of who was being executed. "It's Lynn." We got nearer, but not close enough to be seen.   
I saw St. Marius in my mother's body. He said, "You, foul being, practice the beliefs of the evil goddess. You must pay for your heresy."   
Lynn shouted defiantly, "You are the heretics. You follow the path of evil." A guard gagged her mouth. She struggle defiantly against it, while another tightened her bonds.   
St. Marius then continued, "You are destined to fall into the clutches of the demon world. With luck, you may be caught by an Elemental. They create harems." I saw Lynn's eyes go wide. I realized what that ment. The Elementals must have some way of preserving mates.   
I turned to Isis and said, "Isis, I need to save Lynn. It was my fault that she lost her temple, and now I must save her life."   
Isis nodded and said, "We'll head to Pureland. When you catch her, bring her with you, but be careful. Go down too far, and the demons will come for you."   
I turned and dived under the world. Just as I had dived down, I saw them toss Lynn. I followed and caught her. She looked at me, and as I took the gag off, she said, "Where have you been for four years? Your mother is claiming to be St. Marius."   
"She is. Her life force was split up, and Isis, myself, and Rich's family is gathering it back together." I heard shrieks and looked down. I saw demons flying up to catch us. I immediately flew back to the world and into the Pillar to Odin's former world.   
When we reached the site of his palace, I saw Isis. I flew down to her and she said to Lynn, "Are you alright? And what about your followers?"   
Lynn answered back, "I'll be fine. Everyone is in the fortified guardian base. We still have spies in the 'Route'. I was going to get information from one when they trapped me. Also, my natrual father still has his fortress in the desert world. Some of us have been hiding there."   
Rich looked at her and said, "Who is your father?"   
Lynn then answered, "Mask."   
Isis looked at her and said, "Nothing is known about Mask. I don't even know how Rich's father chose him as his most trusted fighter. I can't even figure out who his parents are, or were."   
Li then said, "Isis, we should get her back to the base."   
Rich then said, "My father said that he had a magical Door that would take him straight to the Guardian base if needed. We can leave her with him." Isis nodded and made a motion. All of a sudden, we were floating. She was floating us down to Pureland. Rich then said something disturbing. "Isis, I wonder if the entities are still there?"   
Isis gasped and said, "They are, but they never venture into the underworld. We have to get into the underworld, and fast."   
Rich just replied, "My father is residing in one of the towns that has a path to the underworld. I just can't remember the name."   
Isis said, "I use my magic to guide us to him." I watched as we started to float toward one of the towns. I then noticed that as we neared the town, a darkness was passing over us. I looked us and saw a hideous mass floating above us. I screamed, and Isis looked up. "Xagor."   
I heard a voice say, "Prepare to die, Isis." Bolts of lightning started shooting all around us. We nearly made it to the ground as a bolt of lightning soared past our heads.   
Suddenly, I heard my mother's voice. It was her Air Component speaking. I had pulled the head of the Elbiot out of my pouch. I had placed it there when we headed back from the tower. Her whispy voice just said, "What is happening?"   
I looked at the airish form in the head and said, "One of the invading gods, stuck in this world is attacking us." All of a sudden, a great whirlwind appeared from the box, and Xagor went spinning.   
The wind stopped and Xagor went spinning away. My mother then said, "That took alot out of me. I will rest. Wake me when you get my Spirit Component."   
Isis just looked at the head and said, "Thank you, Vet, but don't try that again until we merge you with your Spirit Component." I placed the head into my pouch and Isis said, "If she uses all of her powers, she may die..."   
I just covered my ears and said, "I know. Will merging with her Spirit Component revitalize her." Isis nodded and we finally reached the ground.   
Rich looked over in a direction and smiled. "Father. Mother. How are you?" He hugged both of them.   
Rich's father looked at him, and then us and bowwed. "Isis, what are you doing here? It is not safe for you down here in Pureland."   
Rich answered the question for her. "Dad, much has changed since you were in our world. You know of the 'Route of Rigge'." His father nodded and Rich continued, "They have taken over."   
His father was surprise. "They can't have taken over. They can't bring their so-called savior back from being cursed."   
Rich just looked away. I notice he had difficulty saying the next thing. "Vet and I defeated the Hani. Vet delivered the death blow and the 'Route' vowwed to use Vet's body to bring the Hani back. Her daughter, and my family, as well as Isis, are gathering her components."   
I noticed that Rich's father was abit dumbstruck. "What about the Guardians? Are they still around."   
Lynn then answered, "They are hiding deep under the base, sir. I was hoping you can get me there."   
Rich's father looked at her and said, "I shall send you to the base, but I can only use the door device that I have two times. I shall send you back with all of them." He turned to us and said, "I shall have Lynn stay with us until you return. I take it that you are heading into the world of the Dead."   
Isis nodded and said, "Yes, we have to travel down the Final Passage."   
"Be careful down there. All of your slain enemies, as well as friends, are down there. If they kill you, you will be stuck down there, as their servants. If you are going to die, deliver the deathblow yourself, and do not use a death spell, for it will make them stronger.   
Li then said, "Let's just hope that there are no Crystoids down there." I saw that Rich's father's face went white as a sheet.   
He looked at Rich and said, "Crystoids attacked you?"   
"We just had a run in with them, but you don't have to worry," Rich replied. I noticed that Rich's father was worried. We all started down the path to the underworld when I noticed that Rich's parents had pulled Isis aside. I stopped and listened.   
Rich's father said, "Please Isis, don't tell him about his brother."   
Isis was surprised by this. "I thought that Rich was an only child."   
"No, it was when Mask arrived that the Crystoids attacked the guardian base. That was when we moved underground. During the attack, my first son, Eric, was taken my the Crystoids. Rich was only a baby at the time. He would hate me for this." I was amazed at what I had just heard. Rich was not an only child. I started down to the underworld as I thought about what that meant.   
Meer moments later, I felt a hand on my shoulder. I turned and saw Isis. She looked at me and said, "Do not say a word!"   
"How did you know I was listening?"   
Isis just looked at me and said, "I heard you. I tell you not to say a word because of the safety of all. Nobody but the guardians must know of the Crystoids. I doubt that even the Route knows about them." I finally understood how dangerous the situation was, but I questioned the reasoning.   
When we finally reached the rest of the group, there was a giant being guarding the steps. Li just said, "I have never seen a creature like that before. I don't think we can beat it."   
Lena was paging through a book and said, "I have it. A Morph spell. If it works, we will look like those beings." She cast the spell and we all appeared to transform into the giant being. We past by the being with no problem. Isis then led the way to the Final Passage.   
Eventually, I saw a town. At that time, Isis said, "These creature built their town over the entrance to the Final Passage." When we entered the town, we saw the passage, but many of the beings of the town were gathered around it. In our disguise, we joined the group.   
I then saw, what appeared to be the leader, holding a being in its hands. The being looked similar to what a Crystoid would be, except that it had no crystal in it. The leader then said, "As we came to this world, we came to help our bretherin. As was dictated, 12 sacrifices a year for 20000 years, and our mother's forces would come through the mystical portal of the dead, sealing it off and condemming all the inferior creature to serve our mother. Today is the first day of the final year. This inferior will die to feed the mother."   
"Noooo!" screamed the Cyborg, as Isis had discribed them long ago. "I don't want to die as food. I don't want to feed her. I don't want to be a meal."   
The head being said, "You are inferior, and thus you must be food or slave. The mother has slaves and minions, so you must be food." The being then turned to the entrance to the Final Passage and said, "Our Mother, send your messenger to bring you your meal. May their spirit nurish you, and their body feed our waiting bretherin."   
I watched as the portal and a gem above it turned bright red. Soon a giant claw came out, and then another. Finally, something twice as tall as these beings were came out. It stood on two treetrunks of legs and was all white. It had a face that was all teeth. I heard the Cyborg scream in fright and pain as the monstrosity grabbed them. I then saw blood oozing from the claw. It disappeared and the portal returned to normal. The rest of the beings disbanded, but we remained. Eventually, I heard Isis say, "I never thought that what Rotat told me when I saw him the first time was true. I thought he was lying, but now I have seen it."   
"What did he tell you?" I heard Rich ask.   
"I will tell you when we enter the passage. It is safe to enter." I was a little hesitant to enter the passage. I wondered what that creature was, and if it guarded the Final Passage. Everyone else started, but I didn't move.   
At that point, Max came over to me and said, "Don't worry. I won't let you die. I will protect you." I started in with him. Ever since this quest began, I was starting to have feelings for him.   
As we started down the passage, Lena dropped the Morph spell and said, "What was that creature, Isis?"   
"You know how Rotat is older that our world." When we all nodded, she then said, "That is because Rotat is an Eternal, not an Immortal. Eternal are beings from worlds totally out of dimension leaps. There are two forces of Eternals, the Elders and the Greats. The Elders are creators, and they created life to inhabit worlds. They tend to create a limitless supply and then leave the worlds to manage it. Rotat is an Elder, and it is sworn amongst the Elders that they can only inform of the Greats, but not interfer."   
I then looked at Isis and said, "And those giant beings, and creature, were Greats."   
"The beings are called Dwelgs. I heard legends that they plan to bring their mother into this world, making it corrupt. Corrupt is different than evil. Where evil has death to look forward to, corrupt people and beings are forces to the pits of the head Great. The head Great is the mother of the Dwelg, the mother of all corrupt beings, and that thing you saw was only one of the small ones. That was a Dimensional Shambler. It is sent into dimensions as an instroment of genoside. According to tales, just one of them could destroy everything on a landmass." Isis started to cry. "And soon, our world will be doomed to corruption."   
I turned to Isis and said, "What if that gem was removed? Wouldn't that stop this menace of the Greats?"   
Isis looked at me and said, "That gem is not a gem, but the eye of the head Great. I only heard about it from Rotat. He was told to tell the deciding members about the Eternals' existance. He told me that one of my followers would be able to stop the Greats, and that they would do it twice. He told me that they could hold the 'Eye of Shub'. He also told me that to say the full name of the head Great was to lead to enslavement."   
Rich just looked at all of us and said, "We'll take care of that gem, after we get Vet's Spirit Component back." We all nodded and headed down the Final Passage.   
Eventually, I noticed a bright light, and I saw someone beconing us. When we reached the being, they looked at us and said, "You were not suppose to enter yet. Your spirits are still in your bodies." It then looked at Isis and said, "Isis, it is not your time yet. Your father has told me that much. I was surprised to see you pass through the wall where the door was." I turned to and saw a wall, with a large door in it. How could this being not see the door, unless the dead can't return through the door, but how did St. Marius do it. The being then said, "There is someone saying that you were coming here, but ever since the Elbiot took over, all the evil, except for any Hani, has been preparing for you."   
Rich turned to Isis and said, "You mean that since St. Marius was a Hani, his spirit would never come down here."   
Isis turned to him and said, "His spirit should have come down here, unless a spell was cast on him before he was cursed."   
We all turned when I head a familiar voice. I turned and saw the spirit of my father. "Papa," was all I could say.   
He looked at me and said, "JaNa, how are you? You don't know how relieve I am to know that every day, you still haven't joined us. I knew you would come to save your mother. The good forces down here have had to hold back their attacks on the Elbiot. Only you and your beloved can save her Spirit component." My beloved, did he mean my former boyfriend. Did he know of what I had found out. I was about to question him when he turned to Rich and Li, "Rich, Li, I hate to tell you this, but it must happen that one of your children must be taken, but they will not die."   
"What do you mean? Will they be abducted by Crystoids? Teleported someplace where we will never find them?" I could tell that Li was frantic. Rich started to calm her down. Lena looked shock, but Max came over to my side.   
When Max got close to me he said, "I need to tell you something, but I don't know if I'll have time to tell you later. I..." His words were cut short when there was a loud explosion. We all turned to see a group of beings all standing there.   
Isis recognized the leader of the group, as well as Rich. All he said was, "Apollo!!"   
"Yes. And now we are all going to have a chance to torture you for the rest of eternity. Imagine dying every day as our willing slaves. Prepare to die and become our slaves."   
Rich just drew his sword and yelled, "Never!!!" All of a sudden, a battle so great insued. I used my scream ability to hold back some of the Evil Gods, but Rich jumped in to attack. Isis and Lena were casting spells, and Max and Li were helping Rich.   
The battle was definitately going our way. But then I remember what my parent's said about the power of these gods. I realized they were holding back on purpose. I was about to warn everyone when I heard someone behind. I spun to attack them, but they hit me. The last thing I heard before blacking out was, "Time to catch up on old times, and remember what we could of had." 

I awoke to a cold and clammy feeling. I openned my eyes and saw that I was in a room with walls covered by a black ooze. I saw a light in the back of the room. I tried to move, but then I looked down at myself. From my neck down, I was covered by the black ooze. I was stuck in the wall. I then saw an even scarier sight. On a table in the middle of the room was all of the possessions I had with me, including all of my clothing and armor. One thought scurried into my mind. A demon had me. I could belief that I was going to perpetually die as a demon's mate. Then I heard a voice as another black form arose from the floor. It formed the face of someone I didn't want to see. "Well, JaNa, it's time to catch up on old times." I realized who it was. It was my former boyfriend, who Lena killed with a Death Spell. I was starting to hope it was a demon. The face came towards me, but I turned away. It then said, "I know you, JaNa. You can't resist me, and once I control you, the others will fall."   
I could tell he still had his powers, but they weren't as strong as they were. I was still in control of who I was as I said, "You won't control me."   
"We shall see." All of a sudden, the black ooze in the room started to pulse. I gasped in shock and that was when he brought his face to mine. All I could remember was him kissing me as I blacked out. In a instant, my eyes were openned again as he said, "Just think of that going on for a few hours. Eventually, it will kill you, and then you will be mine forever." I couldn't even figure out what had happened. He just looked at me and said, "Do you submit?" I didn't even feel like I could verbally reply, so I just spat at him. He just smiled. "I was hoping for a negative reply." He started the pulse up again, but just as it started, it stopped. I looked at his face as it fell to the floor. All he said was, "Not again."   
I looked over and saw Max, with a sword drawn. He had beheaded the monstrosity that I had been my former boyfriend. He ran over to me and said, "JaNa, are you alright?" He started pulling at the ooze and said, "When I saw this mass attack you and take you away, I thought you were dead. I didn't want to see you die, not before I told you that I love you." I was so thrilled to hear that that I forgot the state I was in.   
I looked him straight in the eye and said, "I love you, too." He reached up and kissed me. I then fell the ooze sliding away from me. I looked over to my wings to see the tops of them visible again. I then realized my situation again. I looked at Max and said, "Could you please turn around and toss me my stuff. I'm not in proper dress under this ooze." I saw him blush and then turn around. When he tossed me my armor, I was free of the ooze and fell to the ground. I quickly got into my clothes and armor and went over to Max. When he turned around, I kissed him again and said, "Thank you. I couldn't begin to picture eternity as his slave."   
He held me in his arms and said, "I couldn't bear being without you. I hope we can make the best of the time we get." I nodded in agreement.   
All of a sudden, I hear a mechinical voice say, "How touching, but it is sickening. You must be terminated." We turned to see the Elbiot. I realized that that was what caused the light. The faceless head of the machine changed, and I saw my mother's face. She said, "Daughter, the shield of the spirit will protect you, but strike the bot with the venom of the spirit." The face disappeared and the Elbiot said, "I shall destroy you." All of a sudden, the Elbiot lauched an attack at us.   
I saw Max go to attack, but I grabbed him and said, "Wait, I understand." I held him and kissed him. He was surprised, but he returned the kiss. The attack came straight at us, but stopped not too far from where we stood.   
The Elbiot sounded stunned, and said, "What in the name of St. Marius happened?" I felt hatred flow through me as it said the name, and I struck the foul machine with a sword to the chest. It collapse and my mother's face appeared and said, "Thank you. Now get me out of this thing."   
I took out the Elbiot head with the Air Component in it and attached it to the head of the defeated Elbiot. I heard my mother's Spirit Component join with the Air Component. During the joining, Max said to me, "Why did you kiss me like that? We could have died."   
I smiled and hugged him. I whispered into his ear, "Love is the shield of the Spirit. With love, you can fight any obsticle, and Hate is the venom of the Spirit." I released him, and then disconnect the Elbiot Head.   
I saw a new form in the head as my mother's Air/Spirit Component said, "Now there is something to be done about that gem. Your father says it is the doom of all." I realized what she was referring to. I nodded and Max lead me back to the group.   
When we arrived, I saw Rich look at his son and say, "Max, I thought you were dead."   
"I had to save JaNa. We just rescued Vet, but now we have to get that gem." They looked at us in shock.   
Li turned to me and said, "You and my son are in love?" I nodded and she just hugged me. "You seemed right for each other, after we found out what happened."   
Isis then lead us out the Final Passage. Lena morphed us again and we arrive in the town in the middle of the night. I pulled out the Elbiot head, and Isis said, "How do we get that gem?"   
My mother's Air/Spirit Component just said, "Mortal Magic is the key." She returned to her slumber and I heard Lena swallow. She was the only one who could grab it. She chanted a spelled and a ring of red went up and brought the gem to her hand. She placed it in a bag and closed it up.   
She looked at us and said, "Let's leave this area. I'd rather deposit this in the Guardian Base Vault if that's alright." We all nodded. As we left the town and headed for the steps to the surface. When we reached the surface, Lena removed the Morph and we headed to Rich's father.   
When we arrived, he looked at us and said, "Did you rescue her?"   
Rich looked at his father and said, "Yes, and saved our world from a bigger threat." His father's eyes went wide, but Rich just said, "I tell you after we stop the Route, now send us to the base." His father nodded, and pulled out the door. He openned it, and Lynn went in first, and we all followed. When I passed through the door, however, I collapsed in complete agony. I couldn't figure out what was happening. Two guards placed me on a table, and Max was by my side. We were travelling down a hall when I blacked out from the pain. 

The Quest Continues.... 


	16. Eternal Eye

Eternal Eye   
A Story And Addendum For Memoirs Of The Heroes. (Previously "Memoirs Of An Adventure's Child."))   
(All Characters Are Ficticious And bare no resemblence to living people. Any resemblence to fictional characters is only by chance. Special Thanks to Howard Phillips Lovecraft)   
===================================================== 

I couldn't believe what was happening. The second we all arrived at the Guardian Base, JaNa had fallen ill. Only hours ago, I told her how I felt about her, and I had rescued her from the creature that held her captive in the Spirit World. I couldn't help but think that that thing did something to her, but what. She had collapsed in pain when they were taking her to an examination room. I waited outside the door for what seemed to be an eternity. Finally, a man exited the room and walked over to me. He looked at me and said, "Are you related to her?"   
I replied, "I am her boyfriend."   
The man had a solemn look on his face. "I am afraid that something in the Spirit World did something upsetting to her."   
I was starting to get scared. "What happend to JaNa?"   
"A dead creature raped her. It probably happened and she didn't realized what happened." It all hit me. When I rescued her from the creature, it was part of the walls. It was the black ooze that covered her body. I remembered that Lena told me about a man who attacked JaNa in the Ancient Ruins. That must have been him.   
"So what's happening?"   
"The dead tissue is starting to replace her living tissue. As of right now, it might be easy to cure, but if we don't stop it soon, we may have to replace parts of her body with metal and make her a Cyborg."   
I thought about what life with JaNa would be like if that was the case. I could adapt, but my heart began to race as another thought seized my mind. "What if you're too late for that?"   
"We will have to kill her. At that time, her spirit would be consummed by the condemned dead shell, doomed to unrest forever. It is neither dead, nor alive. It exists, but doesn't exist. Eventually, the dead tissue decays, but the spirit of unrest is sent to the Void." I didn't need to hear that.   
"Then save her." I turned and walked away. I was upset, but I knew I would be in the way if I stayed. The lower levels of the Guardian Base were like another world, all mechanized. I walked by the Great Vault, where most of the Ancient artifacts were kept. In fact, I knew that soon Lena would put that gem in the vault. I couldn't help the sence of dread that over came me when I thought of the gem, and even the Dwelgs.   
Eventually, one of the guards came up to me. She was a human, but she had one of the highest ranks in the Guardians. "Max. Radr and all the rest want you in the main computer chamber."   
I nodded and followed her to the main computer room. I had never been in the room before, but Isis and my father said it was remarkable. All I knew was that Radr was one of the people who help my father in the quest for the Magi, and now he was the main computer of the Guardians, as well as the leader. When we finally entered the room, I saw my father look in surprise at the Guardian and said, "Meg, is that you?"   
I noticed that the woman nodded and then Radr said, "YES, RICH, IT IS MEG. HER SISTER WAS A GUARDIAN UNTIL TWO YEARS AGO."   
My father looked at her and said, "What happened?"   
Meg looked at him, "On an attack that the Route made on one of the still free lands, she was fighting with the Guardians. During the attack, strange robotic beings appeared and captured several Route members. At that time the Guardians started attacking the robotic beings. My sister was captured."   
I looked at them and said, "Your sister was taken by Crystoids."   
Radr spoke up and said, "WHAT DO YOU KNOW ABOUT THEM?"   
Isis just looked at him sternly and said, "We've encountered them, Radr. I had to tell them."   
My father walked over to Meg and said, "I didn't know. I was surprised to find out you had a sister."   
Meg looked at him sternly, and said, "If you would have taken me on the quest when you left all those years ago, I could have saved her."   
He looked at her and said, "I choose who I choose for a reason. Radr could adapt and become stronger. I had chosen Skiz because he was a monster and could become stronger. Vet had her magic abilities."   
"And look at them now. Skiz is dead. Vet is killing people, and Radr is confined to Immortality."   
"LT. COMMANDER MEG!" She stopped talking and stood staight when Radr spoke. "I HAVE NO REGRETS ABOUT WHAT HAS HAPPENED TO ME. SKIZ DIED PROTECTING VET FROM HER SON. AND IT IS NOT VET'S FAULT FOR WHAT IS HAPPENING. ST. MARIUS HAS POSSESSED HER AND LEADS THE 'ROUTE'."   
"Sir, I mean no disrespect, but I, as well as others, believe that if this ends, Vet must be punished." When I heard that, I was glad JaNa was in the medical area. "She is too powerful to trust anymore. We should prevent this from happening again."   
My mother then said, "You cannot mean to say that when we stop the 'Route', you are going to punish Vet for what Marius did while he had control of her body." My mother had seen how things occured when she first met my father.   
"LI, I AM IN NO WAY ABLE TO SAY YES OR NO RIGHT NOW. I MUST WAIT FOR TIME TO PASS. JUDGEMENT CANNOT BE MADE YET. BUT FOR RIGHT NOW, WE MUST EXAMINE THAT GEM THAT LENA HAS. IF IT IS A THREAT, WE MUST FIND A WAY TO PREPARE AND STOP IT. GUARD, COULD YOU BRING THE GEM TO ME." I watched the guard walk over to Lena.   
Lena pulled out the 'Eye', as Isis had named it, and said, "Take this vile thing away. I don't ever want to see it again." As the guard touched it, I saw my sister's eye go wide.   
The guard pulled away from the 'Eye' and collapsed. He then screamed, "What's happening to me?" I watched as his arms lengthed and his body grew in bulk. His whole features change, and then he faced us. He started to leap at my father, but Isis let loose a blast of lightning that exploded the being that was once a guard.   
When the blood was done flying, my father looked at the scene and said, "Radr, do you have any idea what happened?"   
"APPARENTLY, LENA CAN'T GIVE THE GEM AWAY. WHAT IS IT CALLED?" Radr responed.   
"It is called the 'Eye of Shub'," Isis said with an errie calmness.   
Radr just replied, "THE 'EYE OF SHUB'. I READ ABOUT THAT IN A BOOK WE FOUND. IT WAS WRITTEN BY ONE OF YOUR PEOPLE ISIS, BUT LONG BEFORE YOU WERE BORN. IT WAS FOUND IN ONE OF THE DEEPEST LEVELS OF THE NASTY DUNGEON. IT TOLD THAT IF ONE LOOKS INTO THE EYE, ONE CAN SEE THE SUPER-DIMENSION WHEN THE 'GREATS' LIVE. IT ALSO STATES THAT THE 'GREATS' AND 'ELDERS' HAVE LIVED LONG BEFORE OUR WORLD BEGAN."   
"How is that possible?" Isis said as if she didn't understand. "The beginning was when Redor and Shoac were fighting to keep balance in the universe."   
"ONE STORY IN THE BOOK STATES THAT IN AN ATTEMP TO CONQUER OUR DIMENSION IN THE BEGINNING, THE GREAT KNOW AS SHUB CREATED A POWERFUL ENTITY THAT WAS EVIL. THE BEING WOULD WORK TO BRING THE DIMENSION TO EVIL. ONE OF THE HIGH ELDERS FELT IT WAS NEEDED TO HAVE A COUNTER, SO THEY CREATED AN EQUALLY POWERFUL ENTITY THAT WAS GOOD."   
I looked at Radr and said, "You mean to say that this Shub character, or as the Dwelgs call her, 'Mother', created Shoac."   
"YES, BUT SHUB GAVE SHOAC THE ABILITY TO REASSEMBLE HIMSELF IF HE DIED. THE ELDER'S DID NOT GIVE REDOR THAT OPTION BECAUSE THEY NEVER BELIEVED IT WAS NEEDED. AFTER THE TWO KILLED EACH OTHER, THE SEPERATE PARTS OF SHOAC WAITED FOR THE RIGHT TIME TO REJOIN OUR WORLD, BUT THEY MUST ALL BE PLACED IN ONE BODY, AND ONLY ONE PART KNOWS HOW TO DO THAT. ONCE IT IS REUNITED, IT IS TO BRING SHUB INTO OUR WORLD."   
Lena then said, "But this gem created a portal to Shub's world at the Final Passage."   
"ACCORDING TO THE STORY, WHEN SHOAC AND REDOR DIED, AND WHILE SHUB WAS WAITING, SHE GREW IMPATIENT AND PLACED 7 OF HER EYES IN THIS DIMENSION. THE DWELGS WERE SENT WITH THE 'EYE OF SHUB' SO THEY COULD SEND HER VICTIMS. WHEN ENOUGH WERE SENT, SHE WOULD ENTER AT THERE POINT OF LIVING. BUT THEY CANNOT DO THAT ANYMORE, BUT IF WE CAN FIND THE OTHER 6 EYES, WE CAN POSSIBLY PREVENT THEM FROM BEING USED."   
Isis looked at Radr and said, "What do you mean by that?"   
"ANOTHER PASSAGE IN THE BOOK STATES THAT SHUB WOULD RECRUIT A MEMBER OF HER ENEMIES TO CREATE THE ULTIMATE GATE. THIS GATE COULD NOT BE DESTROIED, BUT COULD BE PREVENTED BY THE SACRIFICE. THIS SACRIFICE IS NEVER MENTIONED, BUT THE RECRUIT WOULD SEE A SIGN, BUT EVEN THIS IS NOT MENTIONED. MAYBE LENA WAS CHOSEN TO PROTECT THE EYE FROM THIS TRAITOR." I noticed that my sister nodded, but I could tell something was bothering her. Radr then said, "LENA, COULD YOU HOLD THE EYE UP TO THE OPTICAL SCANNER." I saw a lens open up, and Lena held the 'Eye' up to it. Then, I heard Radr go, "THIS IS HORRIBLE."   
I looked at the monitor and said, "What is it?" My mother gave me a stern look, but I also saw that she was intrequed as well. Soon the screen flashed to life as we saw into the Super-Dimension of the Greats. Walking around and into sight was a Shambler, but the creature was bearly the size of a toy doll. I was scared to think that Shub was so tall that a Shambler was a flea in comparison. Creatures emerged from the lava surrounding the area, serpentine in nature, and swam in it like it was water. Soon the view looked upward, and I saw the Shambler that had taken the Cyborg in the Dwelg town. It still heald part of them there. I then noticed the walls zooming by, and eventually, the Shambler was level with the view. I had also seen other huge being, probably half as tall as the chamber we were viewing. I couldn't begin to describe them. I turned away from the screen. I noticed that everyone had, except for my sister.   
Eventually the visions stopped, and Radr said, "THIS IS DISASTEROUS. IF THESE IMAGES ARE CORRECT, WE CAN ONLY HOPE TO MAKE SURE THAT SHUB CANNOT ENTER OUR WORLD."   
Lena put the 'Eye' back in her pack but then said, "Radr, if you scan the 'Eye''s structure, you may be able to find the other six." My sister had hit upon a remarkable idea.   
Radr responded, "IT WILL TAKE SOME TIME, BUT YOU MUST REMAIN HERE UNTIL IT IS DONE. THE REST OF YOU SHOULD REST UP." I noticed that Lena stayed behind as we all left the room. I decided to go back to the medical area. I was hoping that they managed to save JaNa.   
When I arrived, the doctor was standing there. He saw me and said, "I'm glad you came back. She has been asking about you. She keeps rambling that it could have been worse. What does she mean?"   
I looked at the doctor and said, "The spirit that did that to her was someone with the 'Route' that was assigned to stop her. From what my sister told me, the man had a charm ability that allowed him to control any woman. I think he wanted to kill her in that way so he could do that to her forever."   
The doctor just looked at me and said, "I understand. To picture that happening to someone for eternity is an awful thought. That must be why she has been asking for you. We did, however, tell her what had happened, and we did save her body. She can leave the area, so you can take her with you when you leave."   
I nodded and entered the room. On a table was JaNa. She sat there, a little scared, but who could blame her. When she saw me, she jumped up and ran over to me. She hugged me and said, "Thank you. I didn't know what had happened to me, but you saved me from something worse then what had happened."   
I held her in my arms and whispered, "I know. I will always protect you. I love you that much."   
She looked up at me, and I saw tears in her eyes. I knew why they were there. She was afraid that she was going to lose me. In my heart, I was afraid of that as well. She then said, "Please, don't leave me alone tonight."   
I held her in my arms and said, "Alright." I then lead her to where everyone's rooms were. 

When I woke up in the morning, I remembered everything about the last night, mainly because I was not in my room. I turned and faced JaNa. I notice that she was still asleep, but was her mind full of the thoughts that were running through mine. My parents always told me to wait until I was married before I do something like this. It was drilled into my head, but it was after the fact. I had spent the night with JaNa. The strange thing was, for some reason, it felt as if I did nothing wrong. I heard her stir and turned to face her. She kissed me and said, "Good morning."   
I was nervous when I said my next words. "JaNa, how do you think everyone is going to react when we tell them."   
She then became worried as she sat up, holding the sheet over her body. "I don't know. My parents brought me up to believe it is best to wait until after marrage, but I didn't think it was right to wait. What if we die tomorrow?"   
"Both our parents faced death before they got married."   
"My parents were no older than you were when they fell in love. As for your father, he was in his 30's before he fell in love. What may be right for them, may not be right for us? Tell me, does it feel right?"   
I looked at her and nodded. "But, they may not approve."   
She leaned over and whispered in my ear, "They don't need to know." She was right on that one. Besides, she was old enough to live on her own. And age meant nothing, my own father was almost 2000 years younger than my mother, and people always did live long lives. Some humans have lived to be 5000.   
We started to kiss again when I heard Radr's voice. "JANA, MAX, RICH, AND LI, LENA AND I ARE DONE WITH THE STONE. ISIS HAS SAID THAT IT IS TIME TO MOVE OUT. YOU ALL MIGHT WANT TO TAKE A ZONEHOME WITH YOU. IT MIGHT KEEP ALL OF YOU SAFE FROM THE 'ROUTE'." I almost panicked when I heard that, but then I realized that Radr was talking to everyone.   
I said to JaNa, "We better get ready, or else everyone might check on us." She nodded and we quickly got dressed. Moments later, we had joined everyone else in the exit of the Base.   
My father turned to all of us and said, "I think it is time for us to go the Earth World. I hope it won't be like the World of Air." With that, we were off to retrieve Vet's Earth Component. 


	17. Earth Shaking News

Earth Shaking News   
A Story And Addendum For Memoirs Of The Heroes. (Previously "Memoirs Of An Adventure's Child.")   
(All Characters Are Ficticious And bare no resemblence to living people. Any resemblence to fictional characters is only by chance. Special Thanks to Howard Phillips Lovecraft)   
===================================================== 

It had not been long after we had left the Guardian Base that we ran into trouble. My husband held up his hand as we looked out over the Celestrial World. It was a band of the 'Route'. They were on patrol. My husband just said, "This is not good."   
Isis looked out and said, "I agree, considering that they are heading right in front of the path we have to take."   
My son looked out and said, "Do we attack them, or should we wait and see what happens?"   
JaNa looked at him and said, "If we attack them, they will call for reinforcements, and who knows how close they are?"   
Lena looked at her and said, "I might be able to cast a Blind spell on them." I then noticed something. My husband looked straight at the lead man. First I saw a look of disgust and then I saw a smile.   
I then heard the lead man of the 'Route' patrol say. "It's all clear here. We should check the way to Pureland again." The man motioned them all away, but turned and faced us again. He must have been a spy with the Guardians. He nodded and left.   
Rich, my husband for many years just said, "Remind me to ask Radr how many of our school friends are in the Guardiands?"   
I looked at him and said, "You knew who that was?"   
"Yes. His name is Joel, and he's a good man." My husband then led us to the path to the Earth World.   
Isis then and said, "Joel, I remember hearing about him."   
Rich turned and said, "What?"   
"For years before your victory over St. Marius, he was having visions. He wrote them into songs. Strangely enough, one of his first songs was about the death of St. Marius."   
Rich just looked shocked. He then said, "Do you think he might have many other songs?"   
Lena, just looked at my father and said, "You don't think he's a prophet!" Ever since our visit to Rotat, and the recent events with the 'Eye', my daughter started to loose faith in prophecys.   
My husband turned to her and said, "I don't know, but I hope that some prophecies never come true." We then continued on.   
Eventually, we reached the Mana Path to the Earth World. As before when we headed to the World of Air, the stars of the celestrial world shot by until we arrived at the entrance to the world. Isis looked at us and said, "Be careful, we will have to becareful of a few things. First, quakes may cause the ground below us to brake. If we fall into that, we fall to the demon world. Second, since we encountered Byak-Ko in the Air World, we will most likely encounter Gen-Bu. Third, we might have to deal with the Crystoids."   
My son, Max, said, "Who is Gen-Bu?" I had to agree, what was the role of these creatures in the scheme of things.   
Isis sighed. This was something that worried her alot. "The Fiends each are equal in power. Each controls an element of our world. When they hunted my people, each would claim a victim. When the Ancient's left, the Fiend's started fighting on who would kill me. They have a prophecy which states that whoever of them kills me will rule my realm, but they fear a second part of the prophecy."   
Lena looked at Isis and said, "What part is that?"   
"That someone else will kill me, for if that happens, they are sent off. If someone else kills me, they join together, and then split apart, becoming four worse problems than they already are. The only thing about that is they return from the split at a time of great problems." I couldn't help but swallow. It sounded as if their return was the begining of the end.   
I turned to Isis and said, "But who is Gen-Bu?"   
"Gen-Bu is the Black Turtle. He is the fiend of Earth. It is said that the force of his footfalls in this world is what causes the ground shattering quakes." I started to think of what that meant. We then entered the Earth World. It appeared to be an endless expanse of ground. There were small cracks running along the course of the world. In the distance, there was a group of mountains. We headed for the mountains.   
Halfway to the mountains, a man-like form started to approach us. Max looked at it and said, "It must be an Earth creature." We all started to attack, but with every one of our attacks, it struck us with a painful blow.   
One blow sent Lena flying. I turned to the creature and struck at it with a vengence. No mother wants harm to befall her children, and I was no different. As I struck it, it knocked me down to the ground. I then heard Lena yell, "That's my mother." All of a sudden, a fireball the size of the creature shot from her arms and destroied the creature. I was stunned by the force of the fireball.   
My husband walked over to her and looked at her. "How did you do that?"   
There was a look on my daughter's face, one that I could identify. "I don't know. I just could. I wonder if it has anything to do with that cursed gem. I wish we never found the thing." The 'Eye' scared her.   
Rich just said, "But if we didn't find it, we would have a problem that we can't handle right now. Now, we need to get to those mountains. I have a feeling that.." His sentance was cut short by a quake. Isis started to float. Lena cast a float spell and elevated herself and my husband.   
JaNa grabbed Max and then said, "I'm coming to get you, Li." I started to stand up, but that was when the ground went out from under me. I started to fall, but I grabbed the edge of the ground.   
"Li!!!!" my husband shouted. I understood his fear. If I lost my grip, I would fall to the demon world. I glanced downward, in hopes that I would see a ledge, but to my horror, I saw an Elemental. It looked straight up at me, and I saw a grin on it's face. My abilities froze in fear. I felt something at my hand and looked up. It was JaNa.   
She grabbed my hand and said, "I'll get you out of there." She glanced down at the creature and said, "Not today, ugly." With all her strength, she pulled me out of the hole and we flew over to the mountains. We landed on the foot of the mountains and were joined by Isis and the others.   
My husband just held me and said, "I was afraid I lost you."   
I went to respond, but I saw something. I looked up to see a giant turtles head. It looked at us and said, "Well, maybe I will get to kill Isis today." It was Gen-Bu, and he appeared to be as big as one of the mountains. I then saw our objective. The Elbiot was riding Gen-Bu. It appeared to connected to the fiend.   
The Elbiot just looked at us. "Destory them." Just as the command had been issued, Gen-Bu lunged at us.   
We all jumped to opposite sides, but my husband then saw something. He shouted out, "Crystoid." I turned to see it was right near Lena. The thing started to approach her, but stopped. It looked in my husband's direction.   
It then turned and ran off. I had seen a look on it's face. It was that of recognition, but how? I then noticed that everyone had their hands full with Gen-bu. I jumped up to the shell of the giant turtle and stood face to face with the Elbiot. Suddenly, I saw it's face change. It was Vet's Earth Component. "Knock me down." The face changed back and said, "Prepare to die."   
I looked at the Elbiot and said, "Not today." We started into a Jyudo fight. It was a one-sided battle, because the Elbiot could not keep up with my moves. Soon, I knocked the Elbiot from the shell. I heard a crack and I gasped in horror. Did I kill Vet? I looked down to see the body of the Elbiot, impaled on a stalagmite. I jumped down, just in time to see Gen-Bu collapse, but I was checking to see if Vet was alright.   
I heard Vet's voice speak again, "Thank you, Li." She was alright. I was relieved to see that I hadn't destoried her Earth Component.   
JaNa came over and attached the Elbiot head that held the Air/Spirit component and said, "Time to rest, mother." In a short amount of time, all three were in the Elbiot head.   
We all gathered around Isis and she said, "We should leave. The Elbiot had gotten control of Gen-Bu, and soon the effects will wear off. We must be near the exit before that happens."   
My husband then said, "We must rest before we attempt to head to the Mana Net. We should use the Zonehome right near the exit of the Earth World." Everyone nodded and we headed back to the entrance of this world. Once there, my husband set up the Zonehome and we entered. There were four rooms in the Zonehome, and Isis took one. Lena took another, and I noticed that Max and JaNa were entering a third. My husband and I then entered the last. It was odd seeing the interior of these devices again. It was like being home instead of on an adventure.   
After a short bit, I looked out the window onto this world. I never knew how much strife occured to keep our world at peace. I felt my husband come up behind me and hold me. I asked, "What are you thinking about?"   
He kissed me and said, "How nice it would be to return to a normal life again?" He had grown used to the life of a family man. He loved it, but that was soon to be gone.   
"Rich, do you think that Lena might be the one to be taken from us?" I couldn't help but think of the gem she was condemded to hold.   
"I wouldn't doubt it. Skiz said that we would lose one of our children, but they would not die."   
"Do you think it would be Max?"   
"I think they are both afraid of that, but more so JaNa?"   
I turned to face my husband and said, "You don't think that, our son has..?"   
He put his finger to my lip and said, "It is possible. They are in love, and they are afraid one will die. It is fear kicking in, and it is natural. Times are changing." He was right. After all of this was done, the world would be different.   
"What do you think will happen to Vet? I mean, if she is tried for Marius' crimes, how will JaNa take that?"   
"Not, well, I'm afraid. She was in the infirmary when we talked with Meg and Radr. That might not set well with her. If that is the case, we will take her in." I nodded in agreement with my husband and we then turned in for the night. 

In the morning, I heard my husband talking to Radr. I walked over to his side and saw the communictions unit. I heard Radr say, "HE INFILTRATED THE ROUTE AFTER HE JOINED. HE HAS BEEN A BIG HELP. HE WILL GET YOU IN TO THE TEMPLE AND TO THE MANA NET."   
He deactived it and said, "Well, I found out why Joel was in the Route?"   
"Why is that?" I asked.   
"He is a guardian spy, and he is going to sneak us into the Celestrial Temple so we can enter the Mana Net." Now I knew that one of the most dificult parts of our quest would be easier. 

To Be Continued... 


	18. Ourboros

Ouroboros   
A Story And Addendum For Memoirs Of The Heroes. (Previously "Memoirs Of An Adventure's Child."))   
(All Characters Are Ficticious And bare no resemblence to living people. Any resemblence to fictional characters is only by chance. Special Thanks to Howard Phillips Lovecraft)   
===================================================== 

When JaNa and I awoke that morning, my father told us of the plan. His friend from school, Joel, would help us sneak in and out of the the Celestrial Temple. We needed the help in getting in and out. JaNa then said, "What if we run into St. Marius or my brother, or even those two demons? They won't be fooled so easily."   
My father only said, "Joel said that he would help us through. I have no doubt in my friend. He has been helping the guardians for a long time."   
My mother then said, "Besides, if I remember the temple correctly, we won't go as farth as the chambers where those two would be residing." I had to give my mother credit. She was being optimistic, but there was one thing on both my mind and my sister's mind.   
My sister, Lena, said it first. "But, what about Rotat's prophecy." I saw JaNa almost started to cry, but I held her. "And even what Skiz's spirit said. One of us is going to disappear. And we don't even know where to."   
I looked at her and said, "Maybe, but who knows what will happen to who goes missing. For all we know, we could end up just missing for a year's worth of time, jumped ahead one year."   
Isis then said, "Be quiet. I have thought this over. We shall go, but we will be extra careful. Rotat told us it will happen, and it will. He has never been wrong before."   
My father looked at her and said, "Are you hoping he'll be wrong this time, because he did foresee your death." Isis just stared at him and we left the Zonehome. We didn't have to worry about Gen-Bu as we made our way back to the door to our world, but we did worry about his occational quakes. We could still fall through the land down to the world of the Elementals. When we finally went throught the door, their was a member of the route waiting for us there.   
My first reaction was to strike at the Route Member, until he removed his hood. "Rich, how are you old friend." It was Joel. He then nodded at Isis and said, "My Goddess, I am glad to see you are still safe."   
Isis just said, "We will all be safe when the route has been eleminated."   
Joel nodded and then said to my father, "Rich, it's been a long time and while we still have relative safety, could you tell me who your compainions are?"   
My father just nodded and said, "Alright, this lovely woman next to me is my wife, Li. She is, well, was the innkeeper from the world of the Final Dungeon. She was also Ki's sister."   
"She is Ki's sister. Ma'am, I am honored to meet you."   
My mother just said, "Thank you, and thank you for helping us save Vet."   
My father then motion Lena forward and said, "This is my eldest child, Lena."   
I noticed something in the look he gave her, but I couldn't identify it. "Nice to meet, you. It looks like you have a great burden on your shoulders."   
My sister just nodded and said, "I have to guard an evil gem. I wish I didn't have to do it." I noticed the look on Joel's face then. He knew something. Isis did say that he had the power of prediction. Had he seen what had happened to her with that gem. Was she the one to disappear?   
My father then motioned me and JaNa over and said, "And this is my youngest, Max, and his girlfriend, Vet's daughter, JaNa." Joel gave me the same look that he gave Lena, which puzzled me even more. He then said, "I see that you look like your father. I hope you will be able to find Vet's Mana componet in the Mana Castle." He looked at JaNa then turned to my father and softly said, "Does she know?" My father shook his head, and Joel didn't say a word.   
JaNa whispered to me and said, "What did he say to your father?"   
I didn't want to lie to her, but I didn't want her to be upset, so I did lie. "He might have wondered if you were like your brother."   
"I could have told him that."   
"I know, but would he have believe you." She nodded in understanding.   
Joel then handed us cloaks. He said, "Put them on. Something in the Route's cloaks allow them to walk in the Mana Net. I don't know what it is, but it does the trick. Keep your heads down at all time, and be careful. Don't talk and listen to me. Once we hit the Mana Net, I will wait outside it. Do you all understand?" We all nodded and put the cloaks on.   
We returned to the Celestrial World, and headed to the Celestrial Temple. As we walked, no Route member stopped us. Occasionally, one would say hello to Joel, but that was all. It was the least resistance we had in getting through the Celestrial World. We entered the Celestrial Temple and made our way to the elevator, when we met our real opposition. I heard the voice of KLar say, "Joel, who are these members?"   
I reached for my sword but Joel then said, "They are members who have just joined, Annointed One. I am going to show them the castle that our leader had before he was so cruelly murdered."   
There was a pause until I heard him say, "Alright, but make sure they are here for the meeting tonight. Our leader, St. Marius, has a plan to destory Isis and her band of rebels, and it all involves destroying the Elbiot in the Mana Net."   
JaNa almost screamed but she held it in. Joel then said, "But won't it object, they have been helping us sir."   
I heard KLar say, "It was the Elbiot's idea. It know that 3 of them have been slain, and since we can not reach the other three, this one suggested we kill it to prevent our failure."   
Joel said, "I understand your wisdom," and led us down the elevator. When we got the bottom, Joel said, "You don't have much time. You must get in there, get to the castle and rescue Vet. If you don't do that quickly, and get out in time, we will all be found out."   
My father looked at Joel and said, "Don't worry, we have been through that place before."   
Joel then said something, "Be careful of the snake that guards it." We all looked at him strangely, and he said, "Trust me." He turned and watched for anyone coming. We enter the Mana Net and began the long trek to the Mana Castle.   
We moved fast and during the walk, my father said, "I wonder what Joel meant by beware the snake. Why should we be afraid of a snake?"   
My mother said, "Maybe it's a giant snake. Like a Hydra." That would be understandable. A hydra was a most evil snake.   
My sister then said, "We would have seen it by now. Maybe its a constrictor of sorts."   
JaNa looked at her and said, "Those are drawn out by loud sounds. There are tales of creature from one of the past timelines floating in this world."   
Isis looked at JaNa, and said, "Very few of them have been seen except in the world of Fantasy. They are not allowed to leave that world. I just hope that it isn't what I think it is."   
As we neared the Castle, I said to Isis, "What is it you hope it isn't?"   
She stopped us all and pointed, "That." I looked where she was pointing and almost laughed. Floating in the air infront of the door was a small garder snake with it's tail in it's mouth. It formed a circle. She then said, "Ouroboros. I heard tales of it, but never wanted to see it."   
My father just said, "Ouroboros. What is that?"   
Isis just said, "It sleeps in all times, all places, everywhere, everywhen. It has no future, and no past. No one dare disturbs it."   
JaNa looked at Isis and said, "Why?"   
Isis just kept looking at it and said, "I don't know. Nobody ever found out."   
Our quest to save Vet was in jeopardy. I looked at everyone and said, "I don't know but we have no time to look for another way in the castle. I'll risk moving it."   
JaNa grabbed my arm and said, "What are you doing? You don't know what it will do to you. I'll lose you."   
"JaNa, I love you. I'm prepared to make any sacrifice for you. I want you to see your mother again. What ever happens to me, I will find you and see you again. I love you that much." I kissed her and moved toward the snake.   
My parents both yelled at me to stop. I even heard Isis yell at me, but I felt I had to do this. As a neared the snake, I heard a voice say, "We will be waiting for you." I looked at the snake. It said that. I didn't understand, but I decided to ignore the words. I grab it and it said, "We had waited for the day of this event, ever since we will come here so long from then." This thing was talking of the past as it was the future. All of a sudden a felt a surge of magical power as we flew in some sort of tunnel. As we flew I saw a crystaline thing form. It flew straight at me and knocked me out. 

When I awoke, I looked around to see I was in the middle of a battle. I felt my face only to find a mask there. Where was I? I then realized what Ouroboros had done. I saw many Crystoids fighting my grandfather, only he was younger, and a young man was next to him. I thought it was my father. Then the Crystoids grabbed the kid. Another attacked my grandfather and knocked him down. I ran over and attacked the Crystoid. My grandfather looked at me and said, "Thank you, sir, but save my son, Eric."   
I was surprised. I thought I had no uncles. My father never mentioned one. I ran to save the young man, when the Crystoid fired at some rocks. A woman was standing under them. I relized who it was, it was Lynn's mother. I realized at that moment what Ouroboros had truely done. I ran as fast as I could and pushed her out of the way. She smiled and thanked me. She was lovely. I hated to, but I had to do what time dictated. She then said, "You are a handsome young man."   
My grandfather walked over to me and I said, "I'm sorry, sir."   
He looked at me and said, "It's ok. It was a tough call. I'm glad I have another son. What is you name, young man?"   
I looked him straight in the eye and said, "My name is Mask."   
"Well Mask, I think this lady likes you."   
"Thank you, sir. Can I call on you for a favor one day?"   
"Anytime, by the way would you like to join the guardians?"   
"Yes, sir. I think that would be best." I saw the woman smile. This was going to be odd, but who could I tell about this whole situation without upsetting time. I thought about it, but in time I knew who I should tell. I know that in some years, my father would help me, and then I would tell Vet the truth some years later. That was how it would be. 

********************************************* 

Ouroboros looked out at the scene. They knew that they will meet Max, and bring him to this time to be Mask. It was the least they could do. They had destroyed a whole time line sometime after this day, and will destoy it before they will meet Max. All the events were nothing more but a circle to them. They were never born, they would never die. They would constantly pay for the crime they will commit, and constantly commit a crime they would forever pay for. They were above Eternal, they were Constant. 


	19. Father's Fury

Father's Fury   
A Story And Addendum For Memoirs Of The Heroes. (Previously "Memoirs Of An Adventure's Child."))   
(All Characters Are Ficticious And bare no resemblence to living people. Any resemblence to fictional characters is only by chance. Special Thanks to Howard Phillips Lovecraft)   
===================================================== 

"MAX." It was the only words that came from my mouth as I watched my son disappear from sight. There had been a flash of light and both he, and the Ouroboros creature were gone. I heard someone sobbing. I turned to see JaNa in my wife's arms, crying for all she was worth. I could tell long before that the two were in love.   
I felt a hand on my shoulder. I turned to see Isis there. "I don't know what to say, but he did it to save Vet." I nodded in agreement to what she said.   
I saw Lena walk over to me and say, "I think that Max would want us to keep going. To get Vet's Mana Component back."   
I nodded with the last statement and said, "You're both right. We must get to the throne room of the Mana Castle." I then saw a look of concern on my wife's face. I walked over to her and JaNa and said, "What is it, my love?"   
My wife, Li, looked at me through tear filled eyes, and said, "Do you think we should try another route to the throne room? I mean, the Elbiot has probably set up many traps for us." My wife was right. We had been to the castle before, and if the Elbiot had accessed that knowledge from Vet's mind, which given the time it mostlikely had, there would be a slew of traps waiting for us.   
"Egad, you're right. I wouldn't be surprised if there are traps galore waiting for us." I turned to Isis and said, "Is there any way in to the Castle, other than the front entrance?"   
She shook her head and said, "No, but there is secret passages in the castle. One right inside the door contain's a warp to the throne room." I was shocked when I heard that.   
"Isis, when Li, Vet, and I came on the quest to stop St. Marius, why weren't we told this." I saw a grim look in her face. I knew it wasn't going to be good.   
She just sighed and said, "The castle was created by the Evil Ancient's, which was led by one man. He had created this castle, and he and his fellow Ancients got their excess power from the evil one, the one we must never name."   
My daughter Lena just shuddered. "You mean they made a deal with Shub." I saw Isis nod. "What happened to the leader?"   
Isis closed her eyes when she related the tale, "My father chased him into the passage from the throne room. They entered a gateway and entered the realm of Shub. They realized the trouble they were in and quietly made their way through the passage they entered. Eventually, they came to the exit, which is in a secret panel right near this door." She shuddered again and said, "They never found the leader of the evil Ancients, and feared that he was in league with Shub, or worse, a minion."   
I could have sworn that my heart had stopped. My daughter then said, "Is the door only openable by Ancient Magic?" Isis nodded and I realized what that meant. Only Isis could open the door. Now we had to choose braving countless traps, or trekking through the most dangerous realm imaginable, and even I couldn't imagine it.   
"The real trick will be entering and exiting the passage. If we take our chances by going the main route, we may get killed by a trap," I said cautiously.   
My wife then said, "Also, by the time we turn around, the route might be on us." I nodded, because she had a very good point.   
I finally said, "Isis, open the door. We have to take our chances going through that passage. And we might have to take it going back. I just pray that we don't have to fight anything in there." There was a concurrent nod as Isis opened that magical door. Beyond it was a panel of black magic. The door to one of the realms inhabitted by a very powerful evil, so powerful that we could not defeat it at all. As I passed through, I could feel the overwheming evil of the inhabitants, and I shuddered. 

When we all had passed through into the tunnel. We had to tread very quietly, lest we would draw attention to ourselves. We were venturing through the realm of evil incarnate. As we walked, Isis grabbed us and pulled us into a small hole. She just said, "Quiet. Something is coming." I was scared but that changed to being terrified as the creature walked past. It was hidious with three legs as it continued down the hall. It had no arms, only long spike like forearms.   
As it passed, I heard Lena ask, "What was that?" She wasn't the only one wondering about the creature. I could tell that we all wanted to know what the creature was.   
Isis looked straight ahead and said, "I don't know, but it could be one of the beings that was abducted from our world. Even from another world." She looked out of the crack and motioned that it was all clear. We slowly followed out of the hole and followed her.   
Finally, after the longest time, JaNa spoke. "I see water. Could water exist here in this evil world." I saw Isis go almost rigidly stiff.   
My wife looked at her and said, "Isis, what's wrong?" It was apparent that something scared Isis worse than the three legged creature. I then heard a sound, which sounded like a swoosh of something rather large.   
Isis just pointed to a rock formation, and said, "Hurry, behind it. We can't let it see us." This worried me. This truely spooked Isis. We ran to the formation. As we ran to reach it, I looked out over the lake and saw two glowing lights in the distance. I then realized what they were. They were eyes. One thing was certain, I didn't want to see what those eyes belonged to.   
As the being neared, Lena ran for cover. My heart almost stopped when she fell over. It froze when I saw the 'Eye' roll out of her backpack. It started to glow, and I was scared. The other eyes had gotten close, and I could see an outline, of a huge creature, which was either wearing a giant octopus on it's head, or it was its head. It stopped and turned around. I could hear that it was moving quickly. Lena put the 'Eye' away and said, "I thought I was a goner."   
I looked at my daughter and said, "We might just be goners. She knows were here now. I'm surprised that that thing didn't attack us, what ever it was."   
Isis motioned and said, "Hurry, the gate is just over there. I'd rather be through it before it returns. That happens to be its most ambitious minion." She ran and I saw the gate before us. I counted my blessings that we were leaving this realm, and entering our world again. Then I heard the swooshing sound again. It was moving faster this time, and back toward us.   
The gate was within jumping distance as Isis jumped in first. My wife and JaNa quickly followed. I turned to see that Lena had tripped again, and fallen. I quickly ran back and grabbed her. As I helped her up, I saw the creature that Isis was scared of. It was green, humanlike, with a squid for a head. I heard a sickening sound as it saw us. I ran, with Lena in tow, to the gate. As we ran through the gate, I heard my daughter whisper a word. "Cthulhu." Was that what that creature was, and how did my daughter know?" 

When we reentered our world, Isis grab hold of me and said, "Did it see you?" She was almost frantic about it. She then uttered a phrase that chilled my blood, "Did Cthulhu see you? If it did, we might not be safe going back that way."   
I just grimly said, "I don't know. Lena tripped, and I ran and grabbed her, and it saw us. I didn't know what it was."   
Isis just said, "Cthulhu is the most ambitious follower of Shub. It would stop at nothing to overthrow her, and that means obtaining a foothold in our realm. No one knows how its mind works, but it tries to control those who it can. It also can help Shub if it means helping itself." I wondered if it already had it's foothold, but I was too scared to say word one.   
I decided to change the subject to the real quest at hand. "Isis, how close are we to the throne room?"   
It snapped her mind off the threat of the evil ones as she turned and said, "We are right behind the throne. We have to be careful. This Elbiot has all of Vet's magical abilities, even those she hasn't tapped into yet."   
I saw a worried look cross JaNa's face as she said, "You mean my mother has abilities we don't know about?" When Isis nodded, she said "I know that my mother has untapped abilities, but how powerful can they get?"   
Isis just said, "It was said long ago when Mutants first started walking in our existance that they could tap into Mana quite well, and some feared that they could tap into the highest levels of Mana itself. The eldest mutant once said that they hadn't reached all the levels, although they knew the magic was there. One such spell is know to be the Gateway, which allows one to travel amongst all the dimensions."   
My wife said, "Could that mean they could open up gates to the realm of..." Isis held up her hand to stop my wife's thought.   
Isis sighed and said, "I don't know, Li. I shouldn't have mentioned it. In the past of our world, when all the Humans, Ancients and Mutants existed, that fear almost lead to the extinction of the mutants. That hatred infected the celestrial world. It was like an evil, but when I was born, I ended it. I am part Human, part Mutant, and part Ancient."   
A cold voice said, "And the intelligence of neither of them." There was a swift movement, and the Elbiot was standing where the throne had been. "Maybe you should go back the way you came." It fired a force bolt out. The target was Isis, but Lena jumped in the way. I was distraught as she flew toward the gate. I had lost one child, but not another. I grab her in the nick of time.   
I turned and faced the Elbiot and said, "This ends now." I lunged with a rage of anger toward the Elbiot. I most likely would have stuck the head, not thinking clearing.   
My wife grabbed me and said, "Look." I noticed it, the face of the Elbiot was changing. It was turning into that of Vet's like it did with all the others.   
The component of Vet then said, "Trigger it. It will blow out the computer unit." I didn't understand what that meant, but then the face changed back. The Elbiot was back to it's evil self. "Not likely that will happen. I feel like a roast." I watched in horror as the Elbiot started to create a fireball.   
At that time, I saw a glow eminate from Lena. She had cast a spell, but what spell was it. Then the Elbiot had started to glow. It looked shocked as she said, "You said trigger."   
Isis said, "Everyone duck." We all ducked as the Elbiot exploded. All the spells were triggered at once. It was a remarkable sight, but I turned to see part of the Elbiot knock Lena back through the gate.   
The head of the Elbiot landed next to me, and I heard Vet's Mana component say, "Thank you, but rescue Lena."   
I stood up and said, "JaNa, take care of your mother. We must hurry. Lena's back in that evil demension. The explosion knocked her into that world." We had no choice but to re-enter that cursed path, and I was the first to jump in. 

I looked out upon the cave as I entered the evil realm. I saw Lena lying close to the shoreline, and I listened. No slooshing. Did that mean it was gone, or waiting? I ran over to my daughter and said, "Lena, are you ok?"   
She got up, shook her head and said, "Is Vet safe?" I looked back to see everyone else coming through the gate cautiously. I nodded, and my daughter said, "Then lets run out of here. I don't think they will be too thrill with two intrutions into their realm. They might take it as an invite to make a visit to our realm."   
We all agreed with that and we ran through the path to the other gate. Along the way, we heard a roar of anger. I glance back and saw a Shambler. I saw lightning in its arms. "Faster," I yelled. In no time, we hit the gate and were back in our own realm.   
Isis closed the door to the gate and said, "We must head to the Water world now." With that she lead us out of the castle, and on our way to the Water world. I hoped it would be more pleasent that the world we just left. 

The Quest Races On... 


	20. Sinking Feeling

Sinking Feeling   
A Story And Addendum For Memoirs Of The Heroes. (Previously "Memoirs Of An Adventure's Child."))   
(All Characters Are Ficticious And bare no resemblence to living people. Any resemblence to fictional characters is only by chance. Special Thanks to Howard Phillips Lovecraft)   
===================================================== 

The quest to save my mother has taken a great toll on all of us. Now, while we saved her Mana Component, I lost my love. Isis had said we were heading to the Water World next. I hoped that would mean the quest was nearing an end. I didn't want to lose anyone else. As we headed to the exit, Rich stopped us and said, "Joel's not alone out there."   
I looked in the direction of the exit and saw something we didn't want to see. KLar and St. Marius had confronted Joel. It was not a good sign. I watched as Joel threw something and smoke appeared. Suddenly he was in the Mana Net and running towards us. "The covers blown. That won't stop them for long."   
I head Isis say, "Do you have a plan, Joel?" I had wondered the same as well.   
Joel said, "Yes, I have a Door, directly to the Guardian base." He pulled out the device and openned the door. He just said, "Everyone, head through."   
I watched as Isis, Rich, Li, and Lena went through. As Joel and I were about to head through, a magic blast hit right near my feet. I turned to see KLar and St. Marius facing us. KLar looked at me and said, "Give it up, JaNa, Mother will never get her body back. Our savior has it for keeps."   
I looked at the two and shouted "NEVER!" It turned into a scream attack of such magnitude that it knock them all over. I ran in the door and Joel followed closing it.   
As Joel closed the door I heard a familiar voice say, "THEY FOUND OUT." It was Radr. I turned to see that we were in the computer room deep within the guardian base.   
I watched as Joel nodded and said, "If it weren't for JaNa's scream, they could have gotten here." I blushed when he said that. It was nothing more that what any of the others would have done.   
Before I could say a word, Rich came over and said, "I think we better rest up. Tomorrow we venture into the Water World." At that, we were lead to our rooms. Ironically, I was in the same room I had a few days ago, when Max was still with us. The memories of what happened just shot though my mind and I cried myself to sleep. 

I awoke with a scream that morning. I couldn't believe the dream I had had. I was falling, but I couldn't move. I just kept falling, and falling. I quickly got dressed and left the room. It was early and I was the first of the team awake. I went to the library and read up on the Water World. I learned it was home of Sei-Ryu, the Blue Dragon, the Fiend of Water. No one knew if it had a top, but at the bottom was the realm of the Water Elemental. It was said that in the Water World, people could breathe the water, and ice would sink. Ice would sometimes fall from above and enter the demon world, never to be seen again. I wondered about this when Radr said, "THINKING ABOUT SOMETHING, JANA."   
I jumped in shock and said, "No, I'm trying to understand where we are going."   
"YOU'LL HAVE ALOT TO PONDER. WHERE THE BLUE DRAGON LIVES IS A GIANT SEAWEED MAZE. HE IS DEAD CENTER OF IT, AND I BELIEVE THE ELBIOT IS WITH HIM." I knew that Radr was right. He was rarely wrong.   
I asked a question that was on my mind. "Are we safe from sinking into the Elemental's domain."   
There was a pause before Radr answered me. "IN THE MAZE, YES. IN THE CENTER, NO. NOW THE OTHERS ARE WAKING. YOU BETTER GET GOING. YOU HAVE A TREK BEFORE YOU." I nodded and left the library.   
When I finally reached the group, I heard Li, Rich's wife, go, "Thank goodness. Did you sleep alright?" I nodded and she said, "Isis said we have to move quick. The Route will be looking for us now."   
I looked at Isis and said, "Do you think St. Marius and KLar are getting scared?" I honestly hoped that they were terrified.   
Isis looked at me and said, "I have no doubt that they will double their efforts to stop us. I just hope that they don't try to destroy the Elbiots. If they do that, we have no hope of saving your mother." I felt my blood run cold in that instant.   
Rich then said, "We should go. We must move quickly to get to the entrance to the Water World. Hopefully, we shall be able to breathe in it like we did when Apollo held his world."   
Isis said, "You had Magi at the time. I'll use my magic to allow us to breathe." I felt relieved and we made our way out of the Guardian Base. The real trick was going to be getting to the Water World. We knew that once we left the safety of the Guardian Base, we would be attacked by the Route. As we went to leave the Guardian Base, I noticed a fog begin to rise.   
As I began to look for it's source, I heard Lena say, "I thought this might help us. The fog should allow us safe passage to the Water World." As we left throught the Pillar to the Celestrial world, I noticed that the whole celestrial world was shrouded in the same fog. At times, I heard us come within steps of the route, yet we got by them unthreatened.   
After a thankfully quiet trek, we hit the mana path to the Water World. In no time, we were by the door to the submerged realm, and the fog in the distance had subsided. I heard Rich say, "That was a clever move, Lena. I hope you have some tricks to help us in the Waterworld.   
I watched as Lena nervously said, "I don't know father, but I will try." Something was bothering her. I wondered if it is that gem she is forced to carry.   
Isis then said, "Alright, everyone stay close. I'm going to cast a breathing spell on us, and then we will enter the Water world, able to breathe normal." This made me nervous. I didn't know how long the spell would last, and we might die before we saved my mother. I pushed the thought away from my mind as we entered the realm. I almost gasped in fright as the water was all around us. In the distance, I saw a greenish box. That had to be the seaweed maze.   
Rich said, "Let's start swimming. We can't rest until we reach it." I realize what he meant. If we stop, we might drift down into the Demon world. I would rather avoid that fate. I struggled to swim, but my wings didn't help me much.   
As Rich, Isis, Li continued, Lena looked back and said something. Soon, I felt like the water was pushing me. As I caught up to Lena, she said, "It's a spell called Willing Water." As it pushed me, we all were heading towards the seaweed maze. I couldn't wait. Soon, we would be able to save my mother's Water component.   
When we reached the maze, Li just said, "We don't have long to rest. I wouldn't be surprised if the Elbiot is preparing for our arrival."   
Rich just looked into the maze and gasp. "We can't rest. We have to hurry. Crystoid in the maze." I looked down to see a Crystoid rounding the corner. I realized the problem.   
I moved fast to enter the maze. "We can't let it kill her." Soon I heard the other's following me. I concentrated on the threat to my mother's life. With every move the Crystoid made, I matched it. Every turn and twist, and soon we arrived at the center. As it approached the entrence to the center, it stopped. It was like it was looking for it's prey. I took that opportunity to strike. I charged it, knocking into the center of the maze. Before it could face me, I sent a sonic screen that knocked it out.   
It wasn't until then that I heard Isis shout, "JaNa. Look out." I spun to face Sei-Ryu and the Elbiot coming toward me. I saw the dragon take a breath, and I expected to be roasted. I was shocked to be incased in a frozen prison.   
I looked in fright as I felt it sinking. It was my nightmare coming true. I looked up as I saw the others facing the Elbiot as my Mother's Water Component just said, "Only a blow from above can save us." Then the fight began, as Sei-Ryu kept them all from helping me. I started to sob. I was going to be the victim of an Elemental.   
The sinking seemed to pick up, as the water changed from blue to black. I was scared now. I was in the world of the Elemental. If I could have, I would have shook in fear. Soon, I felt the ice stop. I didn't want to look, but I was turned to face the Elemental. It was huge. I looked at me and just said, "I have been sent an angel in ice. I shall enjoy this." It started to strike at the ice with magic and force. I stared at the ice in amazement. It did not shatter. I thought I was safe from the Elemental. I hoped it would not break the ice. However, I hoped it would not drop me. I did not know what lurked under the demon plane. Would I sink eternally, or would something down there destroy me somehow.   
I soon discover that I would find out. The Elemental had grown frustrated and dropped me. I started to sink again. I had seen the disgust in its eyes as it dropped me. It couldn't break the ice. I feared I would never get out of this ice, and that I would die in the ice. I watched as the ice began to pick up speed again. I was concerned. What if the ice wouldn't stop, or was I falling to an inescapable force. I heard tales of magic spells creating such a force. Some were thought as one-way portals to the realm of the Greats. I shuddered at that thought. I did not know how much time had passed. How far down would I go? I started to see the answer to my question. As I continued to fall, I saw the blackness of the water start to brighten. I thought I had reached some magical barrier. Maybe these portals looked like this? Then I noticed that the blackness gave way to blue. I managed to look below me. I couldn't believe it. I saw the seaweed maze. As I neared it, I could tell the battle was continuing, and that the Elbiot was not losing. I then remembered what my mother's water component said. As I continued to sink, I said, "Don't worry mother. I'll save you."   
As I reentered the top of the maze, I heard Rich say, "What's that?"   
It was then that Isis said, "I don't believe it. It's JaNa."   
I looked down just as the Elboit looked up. It tried to back up, but the ice block landed right on top of it, preserving the head, and knocking out the Blue Dragon. Soon afterward, the ice broke. I looked at the head as my mother's water component spoke. "I see my gamble worked. I'm sorry I had to risk you like that. I was hoping to get the Crystoid. They have been persistant lately."   
I looked at my mother's water component and said, "It's alright, mother." I attached the other unit I had with me and said, "You should rest now." Soon, her water component was back with the others we had collected. I then turned and faced the others and said "It was a long trip."   
Li looked at me and said, "What happened that you fell from above?"   
Lena just said, "I don't believe it."   
I simply replied, "I found out if you keep falling down, you end up above where you are." It was odd, but true.   
Rich just looked at me and said, "JaNa, when this is over, you will have the distinction of being the first person ever to have done that." I chucked and he then said, "Now about our Crystoid prisoner over there." I turned to see the Crystiod had just started to move.   
I was about to attack when Isis stoped me. "Our next stop is the realm of the mind, and the Crystiod inhabit that floating metal mass. We might need him to get us up there and to the Elbiot." I didn't trust the thing, but Isis was right.   
We all floated over the the Crystoid and Rich said, "Alright, Crystoid, who are you?" It turned and looked at us. I then heard Isis gasp.   
The Crystoid just said, "I am Sharm. I was an Ancient like Isis. In fact, before my bondage to the Crystoids, I was the one who apposed her father. I came seeking you, to help us with our Elbiot problem." Right then, I didn't know what to think about the Crystoids. 

To be continued.... 


	21. Lena of 7

Lena Of 7   
A Story And Addendum For Memoirs Of The Heroes. (Previously "Memoirs Of An Adventure's Child.")   
(All Characters Are Ficticious And bare no resemblence to living people. Any resemblence to fictional characters is only by chance. Special Thanks to Howard Phillips Lovecraft)   
===================================================== 

I, as well as my family, JaNa, and Isis, could not believe that a Crystoid was asking us for help. During this quest to save JaNa's mother, and defeat the Route and St. Marius, we had learned of the existance of the Crystoids, and that they abducted people. My father just looked at the Crystoid and said, "Why should we help you?"   
The Crystoid, who said he had been Sharm, said, "It is true that we have been at odds for countless years, but if we do not ban together now, we may end up in disaster. There has been a split in the Crystoids."   
I noticed that Isis looked at the Crystoid very skepticly, and said, "What kind of split, Shram, and how did you become a Crystoid. You should have been executed."   
The Crystoid just bowwed it's head and said, "I wish I had been, for I failed my mistress, Shub..."   
I watched as my mother quickly kicked the Crystoid. "Don't you dare speak that name. I do not wish to join that evil creature." I understood what my mother meant. I feared that I was condemned to that fate, since only I could carry the 'Eye'.   
The Crystoid then continued. "My apologize. I forget that some do not see her the same as I do. You see, after my defeat at the hands of Isis' father, my mistress felt that I must be punished for my failure. Thus, I was sentenced to serve with my other fallen bretherin in the service of my new queen, Mistress Prime, the queen of the Crystoids."   
I watched as JaNa just said, "But how do we know to trust you? You have tried to kill the Elbiots and in turn, my mother."   
The Crystiod just looked at her and said, "As of recent times, the whole group has been split. One of the more impetuous ones, Sabaranub, decided that we must destroy the Elbiots, but Mistress Prime said that we must not, that to destroy them would be to destroy ourselves. Now there is chaos amongs ourselves. I was sent amongst our group to find you, and bring you to our home, so that you may save us, and your world from the threat of the Crystoids."   
I noticed that Isis was about to object when my father said, "Do we have your word that this is not a trick."   
The Crystoid looked up and said, "If I were here to capture you, I would have done so. If you fear you cannot trust me, if any of you is absorbed into those who wish to kill the Elbiots, you may remove the Crystal that gives me life." For some reason, I felt we could believe him.   
My father gathered us all around and said, "I don't truely trust him, but I have no idea how we will continue. This might be what we need to save Vet's Mind Component.   
My mother then said, "I agree, but we must be careful. Just because he says he won't hurt us doesn't mean that he hasn't got an ulterior motive.   
Isis then said, "Unfortunately, it is the only way. I just wish that the only ally we would get in this part of our quest was a man that had not vowwed to kill my father.   
My father then turned to the Elbiot and said, "Alright Sharm, we will go with you, but you must act as our guardian. You cannot let any of us be absorbed into your kind." When he nodded, my father then said, "Now, take us to your world so we can rescue our friend.   
I watched as a metal plate opened on his arm and he said, "We shall arrive very soon." I watched as the Water World disappeared from sight, only to be replaced with the starscape of the Celestrial World, and mass of metal infront of us. Almost far below us, I saw the Celestrial Temple, and it had gotten much darker. Sharm then said, "We are at the entrence. The Elbiot has set up many traps along the way, so I advise caution." When he opened the door, we entered a mass of metal and crystals, intertwined with each other. I feared this place, because I felt like I was being watched more than the others.   
After a few turns, and near traps, I head JaNa say, "This place is like a maze." There seemed to be a mumble of agreement through out the whole group.   
Sharm just nodded and said, "The Elbiot over the years has taken our order and replaced it with chaos. Amongst all the walls was were we rested, and gathered our energy, awaiting the Portal." The way the Elbiot said portal put worry in me.   
It was my mother who asked the question I didn't want to ask, "What is the Portal?"   
Sharm then said, "Portal is the one who will come to us bearing the 7 powers. When the power of Shoac flows through them, and the signs of 4 are active, our mistress will breach the gate." I almost shuddered in fear. I felt as if he was talking about me, and I couldn't shake that feeling.   
I started to ask the question that bothered me. "What are the ....." I trailed off as the floor fell from beneath me and I slid down a trap. I had become obsessed with the story that I stepped into a trap. As I slid down the path, I started to panic. I heard the voices of my friends and family far above. I was afraid I was going to slide out to my death. Soon enough, I slid into a room. I looked around to see 15 Crystoids, who were all advancing on me. They had to be of the other part of the Crystoids, the ones who wanted the Elbiot dead. I quickly cast a spell of protection, but the Crystoids cast a powerful Anti-Magic spell. I tried to get away, but one grabbed me and I saw nothing. 

****************** 

I came through when my senses assulted me with sensation. It was as if they were hightened. I heard movement around me. I opened my eyes to a frightful sight. There were a few Crystoids were around me. I then noticed that I was strapped to a table. I looked down at my body, only to discovered that I was now a mix of robotic parts and human body. My arms were laced with robotics, as well as my legs. Around the middle of my body, I felt robotics working inside of me, as if they were under the armor that covered my chest, at least it almost covered my chest. There looked like there were four slots that were waiting for something on the 'armor'. Then I saw the thing that scared me most. A crystal was dead center on my chest. I feared that I was absorbed into their group. Then one of the Crystoids shouted, "It's the others of her group, as well as the one with the others."   
Another Crystoid shouted, "No, it's too soon. Sabaranub wanted the Crystal in her for the absorbtion." Hope flew through me as I realize that the crystal that made a cyborg a Crystoid wasn't in me, but what was in me. I then realized what the gem was that I was looking at was the 'Eye'. The Crystoid had implanted the 'Eye' into me. This worried me more than being a Crystoid. How could they do this, unless.. the Crystal they used came from the same source.   
My thoughts on that were cut short when my parents, Isis, JaNa and the Crystoid, Sharm, arrived to my rescue. The Crystoids beat a hasty retreat, as my mother ran to my side, almost terrified. "My daughter, what have they done to you?"   
Before I could respond, the Crystoid just said, "No crystal, they only got finished making her a cyborg."   
My father almost shouted at him. "You must be blind. What do you call that?" He pointed straight at the 'Eye' now part of my body.   
I then heard Isis gasp, and she grabbed a cloth and through it over me. "That's the 'Eye'. They must have grafted it into her."   
I started to respond to her statement. "That's what they..." I stopped speaking as the cloth hit me. My senses assulted me with many sensations. They were too many to name.   
The Crystoid yanked the cloth of me and said, "The mechanics that they placed in her have heightened all her senses. Only the cloths the Crystoids wear will not send her into a sensory overload. There should be one over there." He pointed in the direction that JaNa was standing.   
JaNa looked behind her as my folks helped get me free of the table. I noticed that she found a sheer looking fabric. She looked at it, almost puzzled, and said, "Are you sure about that?"   
He nodded as she handed it to him. "This fabric may not seem sturdy, but it is the only thing that she will be able to wear until she can adjust to the change. Most Crystoids were it for many years." This didn't fill me with hope of reversal of this process as he drapped the fabric around me.   
When I looked at my new outfit, I could help but feel it had a lot of short-comings. I just said, "This fabric doesn't make me feel safe. It makes me feel like a harem girl."   
Isis just said, "We'll try and manage to find something stronger, but for now, we must find Vet's Mind Component. I wish we could find a way to get to the Elbiot."   
The Crystoid looked at my arm and said, "Lena, am I correct?" When I nodded, he continued by saying, "One of the devices on your arms will track the Elbiot, since it was installed by the ones who want to destroy the Elbiot." I tapped the device on my arm, and I saw a screen with a dot on it. It had to be the Elbiot.   
I started to run in the direction of the dot. I looked behind me only to see I had was leading the pack. In almost no time, I was almost out of their sight. I realized that what was a run, was an unatainable speed to the others. I started to slow down, but I continued moving until I hit the wall. It was a very painful crash. All I could mutter was, "This is going to hurt until I get use to this."   
Soon the others were upon me, and pulled me out of the wall I had crashed into. My father just said, "I think you better let us help you for a bit, Lena." I nodded and my father just said, "Now, point us the right way."   
As I directed us closer to the Elbiot, Sharm walked over to me and helped me move along. As we continued on, he just said, "I'm sorry that this happen to you, but it may be a blessing for you. You don't get all the benefits of being a Crystoid, but you can take care of yourself, once you learn how to use you new body."   
I looked at the Crystiod and said, "Once this quest is over, I will have my old body back." At least I hoped that would be the case.   
I got scared as the Crystoid just said, "You can't remove it. You see, your body won't be able to resist not having the extras. Already it's adjusting. You have to admit that the extra senses are a perk." Oddly enough, he was making sense. It sounded logical. Then I realize that I was starting to sway from the right path. I shook myself to my senses.   
I brought myself back to reality just in time to face the Elbiot. It sat on a throne, and watched as we entered. It looked down on us and said, "I shall not let your illogical actions ruin the plan of St. Marius." Then I saw it's face morph into that of Vet's face. The face of my father's friend just muttered, "Use what it holds dear against it."   
I realized what it meant. I watched as the Elbiot pushed a button on their throne, and shackles started to attach to everyone. Reflex made me jump, and the new mechanics in me moved me out of the way. It looked at me in anger and I knew what I had to do. With all the rest captured, I just said, "Elbiot, I have a question for you, a question of logic."   
The Elbiot didn't try and capture me, as I challenged it with something it held dear. It looked at me and said, "Alright, if I fail to answer it, you win, else you and your friends will be killed."   
I didn't like the sound of that, but I had no choice. I then asked the question. "A king had an advisor from another land who was very wise and never failed him. The king did not want to lose the advisor, so he posed the advisor with a challenge. The king asked to see something he had never seen, and the king had seen everything. The advisor left and took no time in finding something. He handed the king a piece of paper with three words on it. He was set free."   
The Elbiot looked at me and said, "What were the words?" I had grabbed it's intrest, and hoped that the answer would do what I wanted it to.   
"The words were, 'I have failed.' Now how could his failure be his victory." I watched as the Elbiot started to think about it.   
So the Elbiot started muttering, "It failed but succeeded, it can't have both. It can't have both. Failure is the absence of success." Soon, the Elbiot shut itself down, and we were all free. I used it's own logic against it. JaNa ran over to it's side and started to obtain Vet's mind component.   
Everyone ran over to me, and Isis said, "That was good thinking, Lena, by posing that riddle, but how did you know it would work."   
I smiled and said, "I figured it's logic couldn't accept both success and failure. Now how are we going to get out of here."   
JaNa then asked a better question. "Also, how are we going to survive the Fire World. That is our next stop, so we can get my mother's last component."   
I noticed that Sharm was looking at me as it said, "Crystoids have force shield generators to withstand the heat of most fires. We have ventured into the Fire World many times. All we need to do is extend my shield, and the one that is in Lena. I can transport us to the door to the world."   
My father looked at the Crystoid and said, "Then transport us. You have as my word that when this ordeal is over, that if you continue to help us until St. Marius' defeat I shall let you return to your group, after that, we will be enemies again." The Crystoid nodded and soon transported us to the door to the Fire World. Soon enough, he was altering something on my arm, obviously altering the shield generator on my arm. 

To be continued. 


	22. Phoenix

Phoenix   
A Story And Addendum For Memoirs Of The Heroes. (Previously "Memoirs Of An Adventure's Child."))   
(All Characters Are Ficticious And bare no resemblence to living people. Any resemblence to fictional characters is only by chance. Special Thanks to Howard Phillips Lovecraft)   
===================================================== 

I watched as the Crystoid fiddled with something on my daughter, Lena's, arm. During our quest in the world of the Crystoids, she was almost transformed into one, and worse yet, the evil gem that fate had cursed her to carry had been grafted into her. When we discovered what had happened to Lena, the crystoid said that reversing the process was impossible. I walked over to Isis and said, "My Goddess, what will happen to my daughter now? Is it possible to reverse this disaster."   
Isis looked at me and shook her head. "I'm afraid that might not be wise. She is already starting to adapt to the changes. Taking them away would hurt her more than leaving them in her. Also, I don't know how the Crystoids placed the 'Eye' into her, but if we try to remove the gem, well, you do remember what happened back at the Guardian base." I felt a shiver run through my spine. What had happened to that poor man, I would not have wished on my own worse enemies.   
My wife, Li, walked over to us and said, "I think we weren't meant to have children. Look what has happened so far. Our son is lost, maybe dead, and our daughter isn't human anymore." She started to sob, and I held her.   
I just softly said, "She is still our daughter, and I feel that Max is still alive." I wasn't certain, but I felt it was true. I just felt as if I had seen him before, but I couldn't place where. I then looked over at JaNa. My son had meant alot to her. He had saved her life, and also completed her spirit. They were two children in love.   
My thoughts were cut short as the Crystoid know as Sharm said, "I think we are ready to enter." He then said, "But, I must inform you of some things. The protection spheres will protect up to 3 extra people, which means that all of us will have to split into groups, some with me, some with Lena." I understood what he ment. The only way to make this trip was a two seperate groups.   
I heard JaNa then ask, "Then, how will we get my mother's fire component, if we are confined to these shields." This raised a valid point.   
Sharm just said, "I'm thinking on that. Maybe we will have to subdue Su-Zaku and the Elbiot. Since Fire is represented by hunger, maybe we might be able to starve them into a weak position." There was an air of logic in the answer.   
I then said, "I think it would be best if JaNa and I went with Sharm, and Isis and Li went with Lena." Everyone nodded in agreement. I had my reasons, for I didn't want Lena not to be with one of us, but I still did not truely trust Sharm. I put those thoughts aside when Sharm opened the door and we entered the Fire World. Even through the protective spheres, I could feel the intense heat.   
As we continued into the world, I heard Sharm say, "Stay on the rocks, the Lava will liquify you in seconds." I could see what he meant. As we continued along the path I could tell that the path we were on was mainly solid lava. I could even hear it flowing underneath my feet. I also saw various paths, and above use seemed to be a rock sky, but at points, I saw lava flow down to merge with the lava around us. I could even seen whirlpools where lava obviously flowwed down into the Fire Elemental's world.   
As we continued down the paths, trying to find the correct path that could take us to the fiend and the Elbiot, I heard JaNa ask Sharm, "How are we going to get my mother's Fire component?"   
I noticed that the Crystoid looked at her and thought for a moment. "I had been wondering if I could upload her Fire component into the others through my mechanics. It might be the safest bet."   
As he said that, my own suspicions kicked up again. "Are you sure it would be her Fire Component?"   
He looked at me and said, "I understand your distrust, but believe me, the component of a person cannot be duplicated. It is part of who they are, and no cloning can duplicate that. It was proven long before the Ancients appeared." I was taken back by what he said. Since I can remember, Isis was an Ancient.   
As we continued down the path, I looked at Sharm and said, "What do you mean before the Ancient's appeared?" I also noticed that Isis looked in my direction, and had a look of fear on her face. This was something that scared her.   
Sharm then said, "It is said that somewhere beyond the docks of Edo is an island which contains the burial site of the last true Ancient, or as they had been called, Cetra. It is also said that kept in that burial site is the secret of their powers."   
I looked over at Isis and just said, "Is there any true to this?"   
I watched as she nodded and said, "Yes. The guardians know about this, and have been trying to prevent people from finding the tomb. No one should hold that much power, not even the Ancients."   
Then my daughter said, "But how did they know about this? And what about the stories of Shoac and Redor?"   
Isis looked at us all and said, "The true threat was otherworldly. Not even one the Great's or Elder's knew about. When the Ancient's stopped this man, they believed balance had return, but felt they needed to reorder the world to prevent this horror from happening again."   
I heard Sharm then said, "In the years after the reorder, the tomb was built at what remained of the old world. Many generations passed until all the power of the old world had been reassembled and placed in the tomb. Afterwords, the exact location of the tomb was never mentioned again. More generations passed, and any benefical nature of the powers in that tomb was lost, along with it's location. Only two of those powers were left undiscovered, hopefully lost forever." I realized that even the Crystoid was afraid of the power that was contain in those mysterious items.   
Our talk was cut short when my wife shouted, "Look there." As we looked to where she pointed, we saw the Red Bird Fiend, Su-Zaku flying straight towards us. On it was the Elboit. With every one of these worlds that we entered, the Elbiots had teamed with one of the Fiends. Now we had to defeat the Red Bird as well. We pulled out long range weapons and fired.   
We watched in horror as something shimmered around Su-Zaku. It looked at us and said, "You failed to take my shield into account."   
Then the Elbiot looked at us and said, "Prepare to be insinerated. St. Marius' rule is now and forever." I watched in horror as the bird slowly moved in towards us. Then I noticed that the face on the Elbiot changed. It was Vet's face, and it said, "Use its shield against it. Starve it to free me."   
As it switched back, I looked at our group and said, "What does that mean?"   
It was Sharm who looked at us all and said, "Fire needs fuel, and oxygen to burn." Sharm then looked over at Lena and shouted, "Lena, push the following buttons and aim for Su-Zaku." I watched as Lena pushed a series of buttons as Sharm called them.   
With the last button, I saw a hose like object shoot from my daughter's arm, straight for Su-Zaku. It connected with the shield and I heard a hiss. I realized what was happening. "Keep it up, Lena." I turned to Sharm and said, "But what if she kills them?"   
JaNa was reaching into her bag and pulled out the Elbiot head with the rest of Vet's components in it and said, "It won't. I think that Su-Zaku will drop the shield, and that's when Sharm will get the component. Am I right?"   
Sharm nodded and said, "Correct, but we need to get out of here once I have it."   
I heard my wife say, "I have a door, but it leads to the Guardian Base." I realized what this would mean.   
I looked at her and nodded. "We don't have much choice, have it ready." As I finished speaking, Lena's group started to move towards us. I watched as the flames on the Red Bird started to dim.   
Soon, I saw the shield flicker again, and I heard a shoot. I watched as a cable shot from Sharm, straight to the Elbiot. When it connected, he said, "Got it, now to save her." I watched and in almost no time, the Elbiot head that JaNa had set up connected to Sharm for this task fell off and an almost complete Vet appeared to be standing.   
She looked around at us and said, "I'm almost whole. Air, Earth, Fire, Water, Mind, Mana, and Spirit, all together."   
JaNa picked up the head and said, "Not for long. Let's get out of here." I saw what she meant. Su-Zaku was furious and stared to head straight for us.   
Li had the door set and ready. "Everyone, into the door!" I waited as everyone ran through. I made sure to be last, to close the door. As it closed, it disappeared in a puff of fire. We were in the Guardian base, but with several guns aimed at us.   
I then heard Radr say, "RICH, DID THE CRYSTOID CAPTURE YOU, OR DID YOU CAPTURE IT?"   
I looked at my old friend and said, "Neither. He is helping us, and when we save Vet, we have agreed to let him go free. In fact, if it wasn't for him, we would not have obtained all of Vet's components."   
I watched as my friend was processing the info. Then he said, "EVERYONE, ARMS DOWN. AT THIS TIME, WE HAVE TO BE ON THE SAME SIDE. WHEN THIS IS OVER, HOWEVER, THINGS WILL RETURN TO THE WAY THEY WERE." I watched as everyone stepped down and left. Radr then said, "MY FRIENDS, YOU SHOULD REST UP. TOMORROW WILL BE THE DAY THE 'ROUTE' WILL FALL." I watched as everyone of my friends left and headed to the resting area.   
I stayed behind and said, "Radr, do we have to put Vet on trial. Hasn't she been through enough?"   
I watched as the computer that was once a robot pause for a second, and said, "I WISH IT DIDN'T HAVE TO BE THAT, BUT PEOPLE FEEL SHE MUST PAY."   
I turned and headed for the door and said, "I don't feel it's wise. JaNa will suffer more with this." I left the room, not waiting for a responce. As I walked through the halls, I entered the library of the base. What I had learned from Sharm and Isis had bothered me. I went to the search device in the room and typed in the word, "Cetra". I came across an old tome, part of the Ancients' text. I looked at the title. "Aeris. The story of the last 'Ancient.'" I started to read it. It was almost midnight when I realized that I needed to rest. I closed the book and went to the room my wife and I had shared. I climbed into bed, without even waking her, but I still felt an uneasy feeling. What if this power from long ago could still exist? I couldn't stop thinging about the horror that could come if someone could use that power. 

Continued.... 


	23. Restoration

Restoration   
A Story And Addendum For Memoirs Of The Heroes. (Previously "Memoirs Of An Adventure's Child."))   
(All Characters Are Ficticious And bare no resemblence to living people. Any resemblence to fictional characters is only by chance. Special Thanks to Howard Phillips Lovecraft)   
===================================================== 

I was overjoied that my mother was almost back with me. We had spent the whole night talking about what has happened in my life. As I sat on the bed, the new form of my mother's components sat next to me, as she used to do when I was younger. As we sat there talking, my mother just looked at me and said, "There is something different about you." I didn't understand what my mother meant, but sometimes a mother knows things that even we as children don't know. She looked at me and then said, "You seem more like a woman."   
I then realized that she must have sensed that I had had a man in my life. I felt myself blush as I said, "I didn't know if we were going to survive in rescuing you. I had been quite close to Max, but he's gone."   
As I felt a hand on my shoulder, and knew it was my mother's. I looked at her and she said, "I know, but you don't have to fret. He's still alive." I was excited when I heard that. The man who meant so much to me was still alive, but where, and when.   
I looked at my mother, perplexed and said, "How do you know?"   
She smiled and said, "I can't tell you that right now. I don't feel the time is right." Why would my mother keep me from knowing about my true love, especially with all I've gone through.   
I was about to ask her why she couldn't tell me when I heard Radr say, "ATTENTION ALL GUARDIANS. TODAY IS THE DAY WHERE THE ROUTE WILL FALL. REPORT TO THE WAR ROOM FOR THE PLANS FOR THE ASSAULT." I watched as my mother's spirit returned to the Elbiot head. I carried it out of the room toward the war room. As I headed there, I saw Lena aside of me. My friend had been turned almost into a Crystoid, and we now had a Crystoid helping us.   
As we headed to the War Room, Lena said to me, "JaNa, I'm worried. What will we do when we reach St. Marius, and your brother?"   
I looked at my friend through the quest and said, "I'm sure we will find a way to end this. St. Marius will be gone, and my brother will be stopped." I wasn't sure how it would be done, but I felt it would be done.   
When we finally arrived to the War Room, I had seen that Rich and the Crystoid had been there for a while. I also saw Li waiting in the room as well. As I entered the door with Lena, I heard Rich say, "Glad you made it. We have found a way to dismiss St. Marius' spirit from your mother's body."   
I felt more happiness in me than I had last night. I look over to Lena's father and said, "What's the plan? How will it work?"   
I was startled when Radr told me. "I HAVE TO ADMIT, I AM SURPRISED THAT A CRYSTOID CAME UP WITH SUCH A PLAN. IT SEEMS TO BE ALMOST FLAWLESS." The word almost made me worry abit.   
I then heard Sharm, the Crystoid, say, "When we reach the inner sanctum, this little weapon," and a strange weapon came out of his arm as he continued to say, "will fire a wire at your mother's body, and like a vacuum sucks particles out of a container, it will extract St. Marius' spirit out of your mother's body. Once out, your mother's components will have 30 seconds to rejoin her body or else the body will die." I didn't like the sound of that.   
I heard another voice speak. "So what will happen to St. Marius' spirit." I looked to see that Meg was standing there, a displeased look in her eyes. There was something I just didn't trust, like she was trying to hide something, but I was made aware of her hatred for the Crystoids.   
Rich then said, "Sharm says that St. Marius' spirit will be obliterated. It is the best thing we can hope for." I saw her frown. I think she wanted St. Marius to pay for these years of agony on so many people.   
I heard another voice say in a calm tone, "I know that today, St. Marius' reign will end, and justice will be served." I turned to see Joel sitting in a corner. He seemed to be confident of the outcome, but I then remembered that Joel was a bit of a prophet.   
Our chat was cut short when Radr said, "ALRIGHT EVERYONE. WE HAVE TO START THE ATTACK SOON. IF WE WAIT ANY LONGER, WE WILL LOSE. MEG AND JOEL, I WANT YOU TWO TO MAKE SURE THAT ISIS AND HER CHOSEN FIGHTERS GET INSIDE TEMPLE. ONCE INSIDE, MAKE SURE THEY GET TO ST. MARIUS' THRONE ROOM. EVERYONE ELSE, FIGHT OFF THE ROUTE AND KEEP THEM FROM SAVING THE MASTER." As Radr finished issuing his command, we all were off." 

The battle had waged for almost a few hours. Both sides had casualties, but the main figures of the Route still hid in the safety of the desecrated temple. It took time, but the Guardians managed to break through the lines of the Route. We were storming the temple. Over the 5 years of our quest, the interior had changed, but we knew where to head. Standing on a platfrom high above us was St. Marius. I watched as the evil figure looked down at us and laughed. "I never thought you'd manage to get that far in recovering everything. It's a shame it will end here." Soon, St. Marius was blasting us with force bolts that I had not seen before.   
I then heard my brother, KLar, shout, "Oy, Vey, get out here and slaughter my sister and her friends." Soon, the battle took a new turn as the demons took to the sky.   
I watched as they started to dive bomb us, but Lena changed her arm into a machine gun and shot the demons out of the sky. As they hit the ground, Lena just said, "You're next, St. Marius."   
I watched as KLar took to the air on his black wings. I flew up to attack him. I could not let him and St. Marius stop us. I reached him first and punched him hard in the gut. "That's for Dad."   
As KLar went spinning through the air, I noticed a person run out of the shadows and over to St. Marius. I heard him say, "Maybe it's time to use that gift I brought you." I noticed that the man seemed to wear a black outfit, and had whitish hair.   
I didn't like the smile that crossed St. Marius' face as he said, "What a good idea." I then saw him hold up a red marble. He then said, "Thirteen is an unlucky number, for those that are good."   
I heard Isis gasp and shout, "Stop him before he can summon them." The marble scared her. It was then I saw the wire shoot from Sharm's arm. I quickly flew down and attached the Elbiot head to his arm.   
After I had it attached, Sharm said, "It's over, St Marius." St. Marius looked stunned when the wire hit him. I also notice that the marble fell out of his hands, but the man who told St. Marius to use it had grabbed it and ran off.   
As if distracted by the man running off, my brother turned to the man and shouted, "You coward. We can still defeat them." I watched as my brother turned and flew straight at the wire. He was going to try and sever it.   
In one well timed attack, Li, Rich's wife jumped up in the air, delivering a spin kick that sent KLar flying into the wall. "You're not stopping this KLar. St. Marius has lost." I watched as the wire began to return to Sharm. The process was done, but the figure of my mother still looked a little groggy.   
As KLar managed to right himself, he said, "Master, are you alright?" I was worried if the process had failed. I took to the air to stop my brother in case he tried to attack mother if it succeeded.   
I found out soon enough as my mother finally spoke. "I am now, son." He was in shock, and I was in joy. St. Marius was gone.   
KLar yelled in anger, "NOOOOO. You're suppose to be dead, non-existant. I'll fix that." He went to attack my mother, but I stopped him with a sonic scream. He spun around and said, "Better yet, I kill you first and then all the rest. The Route will last forever." I didn't have time to counter, but he never had the chance to attack. I saw a wire hit him and realized that Sharm was doing the same thing to KLar that he did to St. Marius. I was almost afraid of a double cross.   
As it finished, KLar's body fell to the floor, lifeless. I heard Sharm said, "No, the route is done. Now, I shall go. The evil's are gone, and I must return to my people." With that, the Crystoid disappeared.   
I heard Rich say, "At least that horror is over." I could agree with him on that, but I was more preoccuppied with rejoining my mother. She was finally whole again. I flew to her side and hugged her.   
She returned the hug and said, "I've missed you for so long. I'm glad that that is over." I glanced around to see light returning to the temple. It was Isis' power. She was making everything right again.   
I faced my mother and said, "I am so glad. I must tell you everything, and then we can find Max, wherever he is."   
I turned to face Rich, Li, Joel, Meg and the others come up to us. I could tell in his eyes that he was uneasy about something. He just said, "The rejoicing might have to wait, JaNa."   
I didn't like the sound of that. I looked at him, a little bit shaken up and said, "What do you mean?"   
I watched in horror as Meg put chains on my mother and said, "Vet, you are held responsable for the actions of St. Marius. You will be tried and sentence in accordance." I couldn't believe what I heard.   
I just shouted, "NOOO. Don't do this to her. She's been through enough." It was like I wasn't speaking. I started sobbing and almost collapsed to the ground.   
I felt Rich, Li and Lena at my side. I couldn't believe he had allowed this, but he said, "Believe me, JaNa, I don't like this either. We'll find a way to stop this misjustice. It will take some time." I looked at him and saw that he didn't like what was happening. I just hoped that it wouldn't be another 5 years until my mother was free again.   
I looked up and said, "What will I do now?"   
Li took my hand and said, "You are part of our family. You can stay with us until we get your mother free." I didn't want to be a burden on them, especially now that the quest was over and Lena has now a Cyborg, but something seemed distant in Lena. She didn't seem herself. She seemed to remind me, for some reason, of the man who ran off, and why was Isis so scared of that marble. But now wasn't the time to look into that. Now was the time to save my mother, again. 

Finish?? 


	24. Misjustice

Misjustice   
A Story And Addendum For Memoirs Of The Heroes. (Previously "Memoirs Of An Adventure's Child."))   
(All Characters Are Ficticious And bare no resemblence to living people. Any resemblence to fictional characters is only by chance. Special Thanks to Howard Phillips Lovecraft)   
===================================================== 

I was in the cell that I had been placed in. In a few days, I was to be placed on trial for the crimes that St. Marius commited while he controlled my body. I couldn't believe that this was happening. First I was imprisoned in seven seperate pieces. Now I was whole again, only to be imprisoned again. For the past few hours, I had been reflecting on this problem. I don't know how I would get out of it, but I felt I could get out of this delemia. I just needed my friend and family to help me. Soon, I heard Meg, who was assigned to guard me, say "You have visitors, Vet."   
I looked up to see Rich, Li, JaNa, Lena and Isis standing there. I was happy to see them. I looked at Rich and said, "Any hope?"   
Rich smiled and said, "We plan to testify, so you will have some backing to your good nature."   
Li then said, "I've been having people who know the real you sign papers stating your true nature. Many feel this is a travesty of what is happening to you."   
Lena then said, "I've been searching through Radr's logs to find cases in the past like this. Radr also doesn't want this to happen." All of my friends and family were trying to pull everything together so I wouldn't be sent away to where ever they would send me.   
I then heard my daughter say, "Don't worry mother, I don't think that you will be sent away. I plan to speak in your defense as well." I hugged her in appreciation.   
Then, Isis said, "Also, I will make a public forgiveness of what had happened. That should convince everyone that you never meant to do what had been done."   
I felt tears form in my eyes as I said, "I thank you all. This has been a very difficult time for me. I just hope it can finally end." This nightmare had gone on long enough. I had watched as St. Marius used me to bring sorrow over the whole world.   
JaNa looked me straight in the eyes and said, "Don't worry, mother. This nightmare will end." I could tell that she would not let this misjustice go on."   
Soon, I heard Meg go, "Alright, it's time to go. Visiting time is over." She started to motion for all of the others to leave the room.   
As they exited my cell, I heard Rich say, "Meg, when is the trial set?" She knew that they had a deadline to reach and that was when the trial would be held.   
I heard Meg say "A week from tomorrow. Radr wanted us to wait. He still thinks we are making a mistake."   
I listened as Rich said, "It is. People will understand and forgive her. We already have alot of people for Vet's freedom." I watched as he left the cell block area. It was late, and I knew I only had one real thing to do in the cell, and that was sleep. 

****************** 

I was startled when Meg awoke me. I could tell by a timeclock on the wall that it was very early in the morning. She just motioned and said, "Come on, Vet. Time is wasting." She started to lead me out of the cell I was kept in.   
As she lead me down the hall, I was wondering what was happening. I looked at her and said, "Where are we going?"   
I was startled when Meg just said, "Your trial. It's time for it." I could see a small smile cross her face. I knew that Meg was one of the people who pushed hardest for this trial, but I was more started that I had been asleep for a week.   
I looked around and said, "You mean I've been asleep for a week?"   
She laughed and said, "No. Only a few hours. The trial was pushed up to right now." I was scared now, and also felt betrayed. Had my friends been informed, and choose to ignore it.   
Soon enough, we had reached the court room. I was terrified now, but when I was escorted in, only a judge sat there. I wonder if Radr was even watching, but I saw no signs of life in any of the computer screens. It was as if he was being kept in the dark about this. I then heard a voice exclaim. "So this is Vet. Vet, you have commit a lot of crimes. You would need a miracle to get out of this."   
I looked at the judge and pleeded, "Your honor, my friend will testify that all this isn't my fault."   
The judge looked at me and said, "Then where are they?"   
I swallowed and said, "They were told the trial was a week from now." I had heard Meg say that to them. That was why they weren't here. The fact that they didn't know about the date being moved up was odd.   
Then I heard words that shattered my hope at a fair trial. "She lies," Meg said, "When they visited her last night and asked me, I told them that the trial was today." I was being set up.   
I couldn't believe it. This trial was predetermined. I was going to punished. I had to stop this. I shouted, "Your honor, she's lying. She told them it was a week from..." I was knocked to the floor by Meg's hand.   
She turned back to the judge and said, "See that. She lies to protect herself. She even threatened Isis with what appeared to be a deadly weapon, one that could have killed everyone. She needs to be locked up."   
As I tried to get up, Meg slapped me down again. Why was the judge allowing this, and Radr wouldn't allow this. That was when it hit me. This was all set up by Meg, and the judge was in on it. I tried to call for Radr, but I was slapped again. The judge then said, "Then I have no choice to sentence you to one of the deepest levels on the Nasty Dungeon, never to find your way out. Meg, escort her there."   
I felt Meg yank me up and lead me out of the room, and to a hidden passage. I wan't meant to be seen. I struggled to get free, but it was almost impossible. As I was being taken to my wrongful imprisonment, I heard Meg say, "This has been a long time coming."   
I tried to face her, but she kept me facing the right way, especially when the door openned and we were outside the base. I said, "Why? Do you still think it was my fault because I had gone with Rich, instead of you being chosen to go with him."   
I heard her laugh as we entered the celestrial world. "You would think that. You basically cursed all their lives, even ruined my sister's life. If it weren't for you, everything would be fine."   
We had entered the world of the dungeon as I said, "You're sick Meg. You can't blame me for all of that. I fought the evil. I wasn't the evil."   
As we entered the dungeon, we were being transported down when Meg said, "I know you fought the evil. That's the whole problem." My blood ran cold at that moment. She then said, "At least I could fill my sister Nela's place, but the others weren't to happy."   
As we walked throught the halls of the level I was to be imprisoned on, I said, with fear in my voice, "What do you mean others?"   
I was pushed to the floor as Meg said, "These others, the true beings that should control this world." I looked up to see 6 people, including Meg, surronding me. As I looked at them, I heard Meg say, "Please meet, Jela, you know Judge Ervin." She was right, he was the one who sentanced me to this hell. "Myself for my lost sister Nela, Lord Osbert, Viana, and last, but not least, Alis." I looked at the man and I realized who he was. The man who gave the marble to St. Marius in my body.   
I shook with fear as I asked, "Who are you?" I was totally scared now.   
It was Alis who spoke. "We are all descendants of the Great Master, Sephiroth. You see many many ages ago. He tried to become the ultimate being, but he was defeated, and the Ancients took control. They destroyed him, and reformed this world. We are the only ones who carry the Great Master's DNA, and know how to revive him. The red 'marble' I gave you was a Materia, and once we obtain all of them. He will be reborn, but you almost ruined it. Nela had discovered the location of the Tomb Of Aeris. Now we must hunt for it again. As for you, we shall keep you alive, but you shall be tortured for all of eternity." I heard them all chant and soon, a cat was at my side.   
I heard one lady, Viana, say, "You see, that is your familiar, and you now can't die. However, that cat will only protect you when you are almost dead, and it will bring you back." They all started to laugh. I was terrified. I was going to die and die, again and again.   
They started to dissapear, but Meg stopped and said, "I hope you like the company." When she dissappeared, I got up and looked down one of the tunnels. What I saw frightened me. I grabbed the cat and ran, because the creatures that were persuing me were not ones I wanted to encouter anytime soon. My only hope now was to survive long enough for my rescue, but who knows when that will happen. 

The End....For Now 


	25. Awakening

Awakening   
A Story And Addendum For Memoirs Of The Heroes. (Previously "Memoirs Of An Adventure's Child."))   
(All Characters Are Ficticious And bare no resemblence to living people. Any resemblence to fictional characters is only by chance. Special Thanks to Howard Phillips Lovecraft)   
===================================================== 

I was furious to hear what Radr told me when we arrive back with the petitions. I sat in my home with my wife, remembering how Radr said that Meg told him that Vet had escaped. I didn't believe it, but I had no proof that she hadn't escaped. My wife, Li and my daughter, Lena, were comforting JaNa. I feel sorry for Vet's daughter, but the real problem was what happened to Vet. As I sat in the den, I heard a knock on the door. I wondered who would be calling at my home at this hour. When I openned the door, I saw a very dignified man standing there. He just said, "I take it you are Rich. I am Lord Osbert. I think I know where Vet might be hiding."   
I looked at him most sternly and said, "I hope you know that I don't believe she escaped. She knew that we were coming to her aid."   
Lord Osbert just nodded and said, "Well, she did handle a very powerful magical item, and she may have found more of it. I think she fled to an excavation site that I am funding. It appears to be a tomb of great age. Lately, many of the workers have been scared away by something. I hope that you can succeed where we might have failed."   
I didn't trust the Lord, but it was worth the shot to prove Vet's innocence. I just said, "Alright, let me get some things, and I be with you in a moment." I made my way upstairs and into my bedroom.   
As I started to gather things together, I heard my wife say, "Rich, where are you going?" I saw the concern in her eyes as she asked the question.   
I turned and said, "I'm heading to someplace to see if I can prove Vet didn't escape. A man says that he thinks Vet is at his excavtion site, but I'm starting to think something sinister happened to her."   
My wife handed me something and then said, "I'm going to call Radr. I want you to keep in touch with him. I have a bad feeling about this."   
I nodded and said, "I feel the same way, but I have a feeling that this is the only way to help Vet." I then headed down and left with the man who asked for my help. 

*************************** 

After a while, we had entered the world of Edo. Lord Osbert said to me, "Sir, I do need to check on supplies and then we shall be off to the site. If you think you know of anyone that could help us, feel free to find them."   
I decided to take him up on the offer, but not as he would have suspected. I head for the town where Hana and Taro lived. If anyone could give me info on Lord Osbert's expedition, they could. When I finally reachd there home, I saw Hana at the door. She smiled and said, "Rich, it has been too long. Please come in."   
As I stepped, I said, "I know, the whole quest to save Vet, and now all this. I think something happened to her."   
I heard Taro say, "I wouldn't doubt it. Strange things have been happening since Lord Osbert started his expedition. He found a tomb to the south of here, somewhere across the sea. Also, something very weird happened a few days ago."   
I looked at Taro and said, "What was that?"   
He nodded and said, "I didn't think much of it at the time, but I saw and overheard Meg taking Vet to a trial, the night after you left for the petitions." It hit me that instant. Meg lied to us all. What was she up to?   
I stood and went to leave. "Taro. Call Radr and tell him that. Meg told us that Vet had escaped. I think something foul is afoot, and I have a feeling we are in trouble, big time."   
As I left the door, I heard Hana say, "What do you mean?" I didn't want to say. The only way I could be sure was to go through with this and hope I could stop before I went beyond the point of no return. All I knew was that Lord Osbert and Meg were together on this. 

*************************** 

It had been a couple of hours since we had set sail for the expedition site. I had a feeling that Lord Osbert wasn't being totally honest with me. Maybe I could trick him into showing that he is not who he seems. I thought about it and then remember my one friend. He had died not long before I met Meg in school. He had been a bright boy, but misfortune took him. I walked over to Lord Osbert and said, "Lord Osbert, how did you know about Vet's escape?"   
He looked at me and said, "Well, I am friends with your friend Meg. When I told her about what was happening at the site, she told me to find you."   
I nodded and then said, "I see. She ever tell you about Mit, our friend from school."   
I noticed a smile crossing Lord Osbert's face. "Oh yes. I've met him a few times as well. Meg, him and I have had nice chats about the state of the world durring those trying times. I was glad that the Route neve caught on."   
I smiled in return and said, "Yes, Mit was a good fellow. If you don't mind, I need to call home. My wife might be worried." He nodded and I walked away. I took out the radio my wife had give me and I said, "Radr, can you hear me?"   
I soon heard a soft computerized voice say, "YES, ALTHOUGH YOUR SIGNAL IS WEAK. WHAT IS UP?"   
I just said, "Meg's been lying to us, and I think Lord Osbert is in on it."   
Radr simply responded. "I FIGURED THAT AFTER TARO CALLED. HOWEVER HE CALLED TOO LATE. MEG HAS BEEN GONE FOR SOME TIME. ANY IDEAS?"   
I didn't want to say too much, but I needed to give him something. "I have an idea that I might see her soon. Radr, I want you to look up something for me. Try and find anything about Aeris Gainsbourgh."   
Radr responed almost concern. "YOU MEAN THE CETRA FROM THOSE VERY OLD BOOKS. YOU THINK THAT LEGEND PLAYS A PART HERE?"   
I just siad, "I think it is the part. I need to know about the tomb created to commemorate her. Any information is good. Get in touch with me if you can." I hung up then, and prayed that my idea was wrong. I had done more reading on the legend of the Cetra and came across what had killed her. A child of Jenova, named Sepheroth. He was about to destroy the world. Maybe he had descendants who kept the dream alive, and I had a feeling that Meg and Lord Osbert were two of them. 

*************************** 

It had been almost a full day since I had left my home when we arrive at the site. Now, more then ever I believed that Vet wasn't here, but Lord Osbert did know where she was. As we neared the entrance to the tomb on the site, I heard Lord Osbert say, "We are very sure she's in there. She's been casting illusions to protect herself and scare us off. Be on your toes."   
I nodded and ventured into the tomb. I had a feeling what this place was. As I headed down the first hall. I noticed that eight statues seemed to be placed along the walls in intervals. I moved very cautiously, to avoid setting of any traps. When I reached my first turn, I stopped look at something very odd. I could have sworn that one of the statues moved. I glance back at the statues I had passed, and then looked at the ones in front of me. Something was different. As I took a step forward, I saw it and fell to the ground. The one holding a razor like wheel threw it. If I hadn't have ducked, I would have lost my head. When I looked back in the direction the wheel came from, I saw a pink shade standing there. It looked at me and said, "You shouldn't have come here. You're making a big mistake." It floated off, but I felt I knew that it was a female ghost.   
I went to round the next corner and stopped. There were more traps waiting. Descending into the tomb meant facing 7 more traps. I took precautions, staying low and out of range of fire. I past six of the traps in the same fashion. Each was of a figure with a weapon, the oddest being the strange creature holding a megaphone. When I finally saw the spirit again. I understood why the traps were there. I just said, "Aeris. I know who you are, and trust me, I don't want to disturb your rest. I only wish to prevent them from removing anything else from your tomb. I believe they tricked me to get the Materia from your time."   
The spirit just shook her head. "You don't know everything. This isn't my tomb, I'm trying to keep people from waking him. You getting here only means they can get here." I watch as she faded from sight.   
I looked around, wary. I knew all but one of the statues had yet to attack. "Aeris, I do not wish to let anyone wake what is best left asleep."   
I heard the spirit reply, but only in a different voice. "I wish we could believe you, but it's not just Aeris' spirit here." I spun around to see who was speaking to me. It wasn't the figure of Aeris, but of another female figure. This had to be the last of the traps, a female fighter whose best weapon was her figure. I couldn't help but stare. I shook my head to bring my senses back, but the figure punched me, sending me into the wall. "We can't let you wake him. He's evil. He wants to destroy this world."   
I stood up again and looked at my attacker. Normally, I wouldn't be swayed by such things, but there must have been a charm on the trap. I just said, "Who is in there?"   
I heard a familiar voice say, "Lord Sephiroth is in there." I saw Lord Osbert and he fired a weapon, destoring the trap. I also saw Meg, and a few others, including the man who had been with St. Marius in Vet's form. "Take him." As they all grabbed me, he laughed and said, "I have to admit that Meg was right. You were the only one who could get us down here."   
He headed into the final chamber, and the others dragged me into it as well. When we were in there, Lord Osbert walked over to the figure on the magical table. I said, "This is why you all deceived me. So you could awaken him."   
I heard Meg say, "It is all part of the plan. First is to waken our master, then we shall get the components to wake Jenova. The guardians don't even realize that their base is right were she was destroied."   
I smiled and said, "You won't get in. They know who you are."   
As Lord Osbert started chanting, unfased by what I said, Meg looked at me and said, "What do you mean?"   
"I suspected foul play, and Lord Osbert jumped right into it. He mentioned that you and he had met Mit. He was dead before you ever came to the school. The Guardian's are on their way to stop you." I wasn't exactly sure if Radr had sent some of the guardians here, but I needed to bluff. I just hoped they would believe it.   
There was a look of horror on her face and she shouted, "Kill HIM." They all tried to attack at once, but my movement took them by surprise. They were caught of guard. I then saw the figure on the magic tomb moving. I couldn't stop him now. I grabbed two of the marbles of Materia, and ran out of the room.   
As I ran out of the tomb, I heard the spirit of Aeris say, "He's awakened, but you have stopped him for now. He will hunt you down. You have the Materia he wants, and the Materia that can stop him." I looked at the two I had grabbed. One was black, and one was white. Now all I had to do was find the one person I knew could use them best, Vet. 

It has returned.... 


	26. Light And Dark

Light And Dark   
A Story And Addendum For Memoirs Of The Heroes. (Previously "Memoirs Of An Adventure's Child."))   
(All Characters Are Ficticious And bare no resemblence to living people. Any resemblence to fictional characters is only by chance. Special Thanks to Howard Phillips Lovecraft)   
===================================================== 

I had been pacing the walls of my fortress for the past few days. For about five years, it was one of the few strongholds that St. Marius couldn't defeat, mainly due to the deserts instability. It was a big fortress, but it was a reminder of another time. The time this structure was from I had reseached with Isis' help before St. Marius took over Vet's body. It was during that time that Ouroboros sent me back in time. Now I was Mask, and the same thought bothered me now as it did a few days ago. Do I tell JaNa who I am? My thoughts were cut short when I heard a pounding at the fortress entrance. I ran down to it, only to see my father, Rich, fall into the open door. As I pulled him in the door, I said, "Rich, what's wrong? What happened to you?" I didn't know if I should tell my father who I really am.   
As I closed the door, I heard Rich say, "I did a foolish thing. I tried to find Vet, but I couldn't. I then figured you were the only one who can keep these safe." He held out two round orbs, almost marble sized. I was stunned when I saw them. One was black, one was white, but both were Materia.   
I took them and said, "Where did you find these? They are very dangerous, especially this one. The Meteor Materia." I had done tons of research on the Materia. I knew the history of the world before ours, before the Ancients like Isis saved it from their bad kind.   
I heard Rich cough and said, "Vet was imprisoned by 6 people. Meg is one of them. Someone named Lord Osbert tricked me into getting very far into the tomb or Aeris."   
Now I knew what happened. "I heard about Aeris, and her tomb. The tomb was built in her memory, but part of a small group manage to put what was left of Sephiroth in it. Their plan was to reawaken him, however the group was captured and executed. Some legends said that there were still some members of the group around."   
I watched as my father looked at me and said, "Mask, how much more is there to worry about?"   
I shook my head and then said, "My fortress won't be safe for much longer. Another part of the legend mentions the Weapons. They were four in total, each a dangerous creature to defeat. With the Materia located where it is, they might help do Sephiroth's task, the complete distruction of all life."   
I saw my father shudder. "This is all my fault. I should have never tried to prove the man was lying."   
I looked at him and said, "Do the Guardians know?" When he nodded, I said, "That might be a benefit. Scattered in our world are the parts of Jenova. If they recapture all those parts, then there will be no stopping them."   
My father looked at me again and said, "Mask, how long have you been studying this legend?"   
I looked at him and said, "For a long time. I live in it, since this fortress was one of the structures from that time. Isis helped me with it after you revived her. My fortress has always been a place where I could learn about the past. I have a keen intrest in time."   
Rich looked at me and said, "It appears that way. My friend, I know you can keep these safe. If you have to move, do so in a hurry, and warn the others in this world. The towns may become unlivable."   
I nodded and said, "I know. If the Weapons start roaming around, we will all need to hide under the surface." I watched as my father got up. "Are you going to try and warn your wife and kids?"   
He nodded and said, "I don't want Sephiroth or any of his followers threatening them." I nodded in agreement. "Besides, I have to find Vet. This whole ordeal has taken a toll on JaNa." My heart stopped when he said that. Maybe I should tell him. Before I could say anything, he ran out the door.   
I ran to the window to watch if he would make if far enough to the pillar. I watched as that idea got dashed. Sephiroth and his followers had ambushed my father. I ran to the door and started out towards them. As I got closer, covered by the sands, I heard Meg say, "The Materia aren't on him, my lord." I realized what they had done. My father was dead.   
I dropped to the ground and heard Sephiroth say, "They must be in the desert somewhere. Ruby shall fetch them for us. Let us wait at the edge of the desert." I watched as they vanished from sight. I wondered who Ruby was. Was Ruby one of the Weapons? That thought chilled my blood.   
I quickly ran for my father and said, "Rich, are you alright?"   
I saw his eyes open, and he said, "I'm alright, Max. At least, I'll be alright soon."   
I was taken back when he said my name. I just gasped and said, "How did you know?"   
I saw my father smile very weakly as he said, "I always knew after you disappeared. I took time to think about it." There was so much I wanted to tell him, but now wasn't the time. He then said something that struck a nerve. "When you see your mother, tell her that I be waiting for her with Skiz?"   
I started to cry, "No dad, you can't die. Not now."   
He took my hand and said, "Take care of JaNa, and my grandchildren, please. I know about Lynn." This remark puzzled me and then he said, "I'm being called. I'll see you again some day."   
I could feel it as my father died. His spirit had departed and headed for the realm of the dead. The only constant in our world. "Goodbye father." I stood up and heard a loud rumbling. I turned to see a giant figure in the south. It was one of the Weapons. The Ruby Weapon. It was roamed this area long ago, and now was searching the desert for the Materia. I ran into my fortress and quickly went to the communication device I had. I quickly sent out an emergency message. Hopefully, Radr would understand it. I then ran for a Door. I quickly openned it and ran into it, hoping I picked someplace other than what used to be Asura's town. 

************************************** 

As I ran out of the Final Dungeon, where the door had brought me out, I looked out at the sky. I saw a figure flying in the distance. Just by the size, I knew what it was. It was another weapon. All of a sudden, I heard a siren, and saw all the people in town making their way for the dungeon. Part of the group was my family. I couldn't tell them who I was, not yet. Not with what I had to tell them. When my mother saw me, she said, "Mask, why are you here?"   
I just lowered my head and said, "Rich stopped by after the task he went on. He was fooled into doing a very bad thing."   
She looked at me and said, "What do you mean? Is that thing part of it?" I nodded and then she said, "Where is my husband now? Is he alright?"   
I couldn't make it any nicer. "He stopped by my place to ask me to guard something. When he left, the people who fooled him killed him. I'm sorry." I could see the tears welling up in my mother's eyes. I then saw JaNa hold her with concern. I want to say something else, but I figured now wasn't the right time. I then noticed Lena for the first time. She had changed. She was almost a Crystoid, but I didn't see the crystal that made Crystoids what they were. I did however see that the Eye was now imbedded in her chest. I took Lena aside and said, "I'm sorry about your father."   
She nodded and said, "It's alright. I wish there was something I can do to help." I pulled out the one Materia and gave it to her. "What is this?"   
I looked at her and said, "The Black Materia. I need for you to teleport it somewhere where they can't reach it. I'm going to try and find Vet. It's what your father would have done." She nodded after I said that. I looked out of the cave and saw the figure fly away over the mountains. Now the world needed all the help it could get. 

Continued...Yes It will be 


	27. Voices

Voices   
A Story And Addendum For Memoirs Of The Heroes. (Previously "Memoirs Of An Adventure's Child."))   
(All Characters Are Ficticious And bare no resemblence to living people. Any resemblence to fictional characters is only by chance. Special Thanks to Howard Phillips Lovecraft)   
===================================================== 

I looked at the black marble that Mask had given me. He wanted me to teleport it to someplace no one could get it. I couldn't think of anyplace like that, except for the Realm of the Dead. I then thought twice about doing that. If I sent it there, Apollo or any of the other gods that had invaded our world might use it. I wondered if there was any safe place to send this item. While I was pondering this, I heard a voice say in my head say, [There is a safe place to hide that item.]   
I was startled when I heard this voice. It didn't sound like anyone I knew, and it freaked me out. I didn't want my mother to think I was losing my mind, so I softly said, "Who are you?"   
The voice spoke again. [Lena, I'm a guardian spirit for you. I'm here to help you. I know where you can hide that evil item.]   
I felt some relief at that, but doubted that this voice could guide me to a safe place. The weapons were out there, waiting and watching. I said, "What about the weapons?"   
The voice kept its same reassuring tone. [I won't guide you wrong. You can't let your father die in vain.] The voice was right. My father was dead. Sephiroth and his followers saw to that. They had to pay for that crime.   
I didn't know how much of that was my anger or the voices doing, but I felt they had to pay. "Where do I have to go?"   
The voice said very calmly, [The pillar of sky. Make your way there.]   
I nodded and then turned to my mother and JaNa. "Mom, JaNa. I'm going to put this thing someplace Sephiroth and his followers can't find it."   
My mother put her arm on me. "Lena, it is too dangerous. You'll get killed by those monsterous weapons."   
I looked at my mother and said, "No I won't. I know what I'm doing." I quickly turned and ran out of the cave. I didn't look back. I had to get this evil item someplace where nothing could get a hold of it. As I ran for the pillar, I heard a loud rumble and looked out towards the mountains. There was a giant white monster walking over them. It had to be one of the Weapons. From what the reports had said, there were four of them. I didn't know which one this was, but I didn't want to find out.   
When I reached the pillar of sky, I quickly entered the Celestrial World. The voice suddenly seemed louder. [Good. Now you have to head where Apollo had taken up residence. Where the undersea volcano is.]   
As I made my way for that pillar, I said, "Is there were I should hide this item?" I didn't think the volcano's lava would stop the weapons.   
The voice calmly said, [Yes, and no. The volcano is part of the whole. You will see it in time.]   
When I reached the pillar, I cautiously went down. I entered a quiet world. Everyone had taken shelter somewhere, to avoid attacks. I felt foolish walking around, but I had to hide the evil marble before our world would be ruined by Sephiroth. As I crossed the plains of this world, I said, "Where am I heading?"   
The voice quietly said, [Straight, past the Cave of Light. There is a small cave in the mountains. It will lead to a shielded cave. They won't see you in there.]   
I followed my guides instructions. As I passed the Cave of Light, I did see a small cave in the rocks. I also noticed how narrow the entrance was. I quickly shed the extra clothes I wore to cover the mechanics and the strange material that I could were with this cybernetic body and made my way into the cave. I had to stop a few times to keep from experiencing a sensory overload, but I got into the cave. My cybernetics had an advantage in this cave. I could see the path. As I slowly made my way up path, I noticed strange etchings on the walls. I asked my mysterious guide, "What do these etchings mean?"   
As if expecting my responce, the guide said, [It is a legend left by the Cetra. It says that if anyone tries to use the Black Materia, the only one who can truely destroy them will be great in the truest sense of the word, but only the holder of two can free the force to stop the evil.] Something scared me about that, but I couldn't stop.   
Soon, I was assulted by bright light. I was at a window in the cave. I saw the entire ocean, and noticed two things. One was moving and had to be a weapon, but the other was something in the area of the volcano. I noticed that it looked like a building of some sort. As I looked at it, I said, "Is there were I can hide the marble?"   
The voice said, [Yes, but you must bring it out of the water. You know how to do that.] The voice was right. I did know how to do that. I raised my hands over my head and started to chant. I didn't know what I was saying, but I knew what to say. It took very little time to get everything out. Soon, I heard a rumbling and saw the volcano rise, and a city surrounded it. I was flabbergasted. I didn't know what it was. The voice then said, [Now, transport that gem to dead center of that city. It will be right behind the big doors.]   
I looked on, half scared, but half with an overwelming urgency. I said, "Yes. I transport you to the center of the island. May you never be found, you cursed black marble." I watched as the marble disappeared from my hands, and I felt as if it had entered the structure. I then saw a very distrubing site. The weapon, which was an Emerald Green had gone to shore. I saw Sephiroth and his followers there. They were headed for the island. They knew the Materia was there. I was terrified. "They know it's there."   
The voice said, [No. They know something else is there, part of Jenova. That is who Sepheroth believes is his mother, but she serves him. He wants to reassemble her. This is location of the most accessable part.]   
I just said, "But he'll find the marble he's after. You said it would be safe." I felt betrayed. I thought I had delivered Sephiroth the means to destroy the world.   
The voice calmly said, [You can stop him now. When they reach the island, open the door and you will destroy them, for killing your father.]   
That idea made me feel like I should do it, but I had a nagging feeling in me. I had to know what was behind that door. I didn't think the marble was the only thing behind that door. I just said, "What's behind that door? How can it defeat Sephiroth?"   
The voice just said, [You know whats behind that door. You've seen it before. It can defeat Sepiroth.]   
I thought about what the voice said for a moment. In that moment, I saw the weapon reach the island, and then it hit me. The size of the door was huge, and I had seen something that size before. It seemed like that door didn't head into the island, but to the other demention, where all those hidious creatures were lead by 'her'. I just said, "No. It can't be. I won't open that door if what I think is behind there is behind there." I was adament about that and I felt the voice could tell that.   
I heard the voice say, [I didn't want to do this yet, but you leave me no choice.] I wondered what it mean, and I found out. I felt my hands go up into the air. Soon I felt my mouth start to move and I began speaking. I knew what I was doing. I was being made to do a spell of openning, and the door was openning. I glanced at the shore and saw Isis there, with some of the guardians. What was I doing, but it was too late. I felt myself collapse. I had no energy left. My mind decided to blank out, and the voice was silent as well. 

To be continued.... 


	28. Dark Defender

Dark Defender   
A Story And Addendum For Memoirs Of The Heroes. (Previously "Memoirs Of An Adventure's Child."))   
(All Characters Are Ficticious And bare no resemblence to living people. Any resemblence to fictional characters is only by chance. Special Thanks to Howard Phillips Lovecraft)   
===================================================== 

When I heard that Sephiroth had been sited in the world that Apollo had taken over, I immediately headed for the world with some of the Guardians. I had them bring Hyper Cannons so they might be able to destroy the Weapons. Those dangerous creatures were part of what was left before my people restored the world. Now I had to face what my people feared countless years ago. I was surprised to see a huge island city in the middle of the ocean. I turned to one of the Guardians stationed in the Port Town and said, "Where did that come from?"   
He looked at me and said, "I don't know, Isis. We feel it was linked to a cave found in the mountains long ago, however, we did not see it until today when it arose out of the ocean."   
I then noticed the shear immensity of the island when the Emerald Weapon appeared to stand just at the right size of a door on one of the large structures. As I looked at the creature, it turned and saw us. It started to head towards us. I turned and said, "Prepare the Hyper Cannons. I don't want Sephiroth to succeed at what he's doing over there."   
As they set up the cannons, one of the Guardians said, "Isis, look. The door is opening." I looked and saw a hugh light coming from the structures door. It was openning and just by the size of it, I had a bad feeling of what was in it.   
When the door was finally openned, my worst fears were comfirmed. It was one of the Greats, the evil creatures that were lead by the unnamable one. I just shouted, "Some of you, run and get the people out of this world. It is not safe here anymore." I didn't know how this gateway to that dark dimension got onto this world, but I didn't want to see anyone die.   
It was at that time I heard a defining roar. It was the Emerald Weapon. I then noticed that the evil creature had picked up Sephiroth and his followers. I heard one of the Guardians say, "This can't be good."   
I had to agree, only Sephiroth's followers knew where Vet was placed, and if we could rescue her. I watched in horror as they were eaten by the being that held them. "Not even Sephiroth deserved that."   
One of the Guardians looked at me and said, "What is that thing?" He must have been new.   
I kept watching as the Emerald Weapon started to attack it. "It is a being know as Cthulhu. It sometimes works for its unnamable one, but sometimes it works on its own. Right now, it's not helping us, it's helping itself." The second it came out that door, I knew that it would try to take our world.   
Eventually the Emerald Weapon exploded. I watched as all of the other weapons came out of nowhere, feeling the death of their fellow Weapon. I heard one of the Guardians say, "Should we attack?"   
I kept watching the scene as the other three weapons kept attacking. "Not yet, I hope that the Weapons can drive the Great One back. If not, we have one recourse." I didn't want to do it, but we had only one option. If that evil being survived, we had to remove the connect of this world to the Celestrial World. I knew that it was the only option, an option I used once before. 

The battle lasted for a few hours, and I was growing scared, two of the Weapons had been destoried, and one remained. The Great One looked like it wasn't harmed at all. The only Weapon that was left was the Diamond Weapon. As I watched the battle, I heard one of the Guardians say, "Isis, we've found all the people, and are getting them to the Celestrial World. Is there any chance that we don't have to do what we are preparing to do?"   
I honestly didn't know if I could answer that. I watched and said, "I hope so, but I fear that we have no choice." My words were cut short by an explosion. We all look out to the island and saw that the Diamond Weapon had been destroied. I saw the Great One look in our direction and the huge figure started to walk in our direction. "How long until everyone is out of here?"   
The lead Guardian said, "About another 15 minutes." I feared that it wouldn't be enough time.   
I started to cast Flare blasts at the Great One and said, "Then start firing the Hyper cannons. We need to keep that thing from reaching the mainland." My command was followed by the sound of all the Hyper Cannons we had brought being fired at once. The combination of all the blasts caused a good deal of damage, and our foe stopped to regenerate.   
As we continued, one of the Guardians said, "Isis, the Hyper Cannons were only made to handle three blasts. Can we last long enough?" It was a question that I didn't have an answer to. I didn't know how long the regeneration would last. I also knew that the time to set up one Hyper Cannon would be a major problem.   
I looked out as I fired another Flare blast and said, "I hope so, and if not, I hope we have a miracle to save us all."   
Another Guardian looked up and said, "Look at that, another beam of light." I looked and saw that the beam appeared again, but this time I noticed that it wasn't coming from the building, but from the mountains, and it was pulling the Great back into the door way. I heard it's hideous noises of anguish and protest, but the beam was too powerful for it to fight.   
As it was being pulled back into the doorway, I just said, "Maybe we got our miracle." I wondered who or what was up there doing this. The beam did its work slowly, but it was getting the job done. I looked at the Guardians and said, "Just be ready in case it stops."   
As time passed, we were all overjoied as the Great was pulled into the door and it closed, but the beam continued. Then one of the Guardians said, "Isis, the island is sinking." I watched to see that he was right. The island was slowly sinking back into the ocean. I felt somewhat comforted by this turn of events. It meant that this part of the world was safe for the time being. I just didn't trust that this wouldn't happen again.   
When the island had finally submerged, the lead Guardian asked, "Isis, should we continue the evacuation."   
I nodded and said, "Yes, but we won't sever this world off yet. I just want Guardians here to monitor what is happening. If that Island arises again, this world must be abandoned." They nodded acknowledging my orders and started to prepare an observation area. I started to walk back to the Pillar when I saw something shining in the mountain base. I motioned for a Guardian to join me and we headed over there.   
When we reached the rock wall, the Guardian said, "Oh no. A Crystoid, how did one get here?"   
I then noticed that it wasn't a Crystoid. "That's not a Crystoid, it's Lena. She must have done something to stop what was happening out there." I worked to get her unconscious form out of the crack.   
The Guardian said, "Maybe she released it. She does appear to be a Crystoid." I leered at him, and he stepped back. Lena wasn't a Crystoid, and she'd never do anything to hurt our world or any of us.   
When I got her out of the crack, I turned to the Guardian and said, "Pass the word that the weapons are gone, and tell Li that Lena is with me at the temple. I'm going to see if I can help her recover." With that, I left for the Celestrial Temple. 

Chapter End 


	29. Ten Of Cups

Ten of Cups   
A Story And Addendum For Memoirs Of The Heroes. (Previously "Memoirs Of An Adventure's Child."))   
(All Characters Are Ficticious And bare no resemblence to living people. Any resemblence to fictional characters is only by chance. Special Thanks to Howard Phillips Lovecraft)   
===================================================== 

I awoke lying in a bed in the Celestrial Temple. I didn't know how long I had been there, since when I passed out, I was leaving that cave on the world Apollo had ruled over. I slowly sat up, being careful not to trigger any sort of overload on my brain. I had done that when I tried to get out of the cave. I didn't want anyone to think I had caused the chaos that had followed back on that world. I wonder if Isis suspected if I was the root of the problem since I was in the Celestrial Temple. I was started when I heard a voice in the next room say, "She's alright, but I am worried about her. I don't know what she was doing there."   
It had been Isis, but the other voice was that of my mothers, "Isis, Mask gave her something. Something my husband had found, but left to him before he died."   
I remembered what Mask had said had happened to my father. I heard Isis say, "I heard about Rich's death, but we have a few other matters to resolve, like finding Vet. Now that Sephiroth and his followers are dead, we have to find her. I hope she is not dead. She must be somewhere where we don't know about. Since the four fiends reappeard, I suspect that one of the worlds can rejoin the Celestrial World. I've reconnected the world and plan to check it out."   
I heard my mother say, "Will Lena be safe all alone?" I wondered that as well.   
I then heard that same voice that forced me to do everything the other day say, [Maybe you would be better off with Isis.] That same voice that made me do those horrible things was back.   
I leaned over and said, "No. Shut up. I don't want to do that."   
I then heard Isis say, "I don't think it would be good for her to be alone. I'll take her with me, and hopefully, we will find someone who can help her there." I heard a laughter in my head as I heard Isis say that. That voice made me make Isis want to take me along. What was it doing to me. I then heard Isis end her conversation. She walked into the room and said, "Lena, are you alright?"   
I shook my head. I didn't know what I should say and what I shouldn't say. I then looked at Isis and said, "I don't think I should go with you. I don't think it would be wise."   
Isis took my hand and said, "Lena, I don't want you to get hurt, and I'm worried about you. Some of the guardians thought you were a Crystoid. I don't think they were convinced that you are not a Crystoid. I think you would be safer and maybe better off if you came with me."   
I was about to argue when I felt my head nod. I saw Isis smiling, but I heard the voice say, [Yes, Lena, it would be best.] I was scared. What did this voice want? Isis took my hand and led me out of the temple.   
I looked at Isis and said, "Where are we going?"   
She smiled and said, "You remember our encounters with all the fiends. They were trapped in one of the severed worlds. That world had returned to normal, and we are going there."   
I looked at Isis and said, "Do you think someone might be able to remove these robotic parts from me?"   
I noticed at that point we had reached a new pillar on the Celestrial World as Isis said, "I hope so. I was also wondering what you were doing in what was Apollo's world."   
I didn't want to tell her that I was responsable for what had happened. I just said, "I saw the island in the ocean, so I transported something Mask gave me there. Then I saw the Weapon and went to hide in that cave. I think I passed out as I tried to get into the cave."   
As we passed into the world, I noticed the odd calm of the world, and the tip of a tower in the distance. Isis then said, "Most likely. You do have to be careful. Now this is the World of the Tower. The first world we will visit of this world is the World or Ruin. Su-Zaku terrified that world, and they might have the abilities to remove your robotics."   
As we enetered the tower and started down, I said, "Isis, why did the Crystoids do this to me?"   
I heard Isis sigh and say, "It is their way of recruiting. There is no turning back from being a full Crystoid. Some people even tried to spy on the full process. I've seen images of part of the process."   
I shuddered as I asked, "What does it consist of?" I deep down didn't want to know, but I somehow wanted to know what I had been spared from.   
We exited the tower at the World of Ruin, and headed for a town as Isis said, "It all depends. After the robotics are added, there is a phase called absorbtion. This varies from the purpose of the new Crystoid. It is a lowly drone, it is brain washed, but the images I've seen is for special cases. A new leader would be placed into a large vat as special drones called producers fill the vat with a special chemical."   
I shuddered more and said, "How do they do that?"   
Isis said, "From what little footage the Guardians got, they figure that the producers are genetically altered to produce it. They bleed it, spit it, and other things I'd rather not mention."   
When we entered the town, I said, "I hope we can remove these robotics. I don't want to encounter that, ever."   
Almost as if answering my request, a man walked over and said, "Regrets about the robotics, ma'am. I might be able to help."   
Isis looked at the gentleman and said, "Please sir. These robotics were not voluntary." He nodded and lead me to a back room. Isis followed and he had be lay down on a table.   
When he removed the covering I wore, he looked at me for a moment, and then said, "This might be out of my league." He motioned Isis over and said, "Look at this." I felt him push on one of the metal plates on my chest. I heard faint wirring sound, and felt something open. He did that three more times as he said, "I don't know who did this, but this was built with a purpose. It might be intergrate too deep."   
Isis was looking at the spots and said, "What goes in there?" I felt her poke the interior of one of the areas.   
"Isissssssssssssss" was all I could say. It was as if that touch was 10000x more intense that what it was. I was almost paralized as she pulled her finger away.   
The man shook his head and said, "No way I'm going to try, unless you can find something to put in these panels. If what belongs in there is there, then maybe we have a chance. You might want to let the young lady rest abit. She's in no shape to move right now."   
I saw Isis nod and they left the room. I didn't know what to do. I had to let that sensation pass. As I waited, the voice said, [Very sensitive there, aren't you? Don't worry, that will be taken care of soon.] I was really scared now. What was that voice going to make me do, and why? 

When I awoke, I quickly got dressed. I ran out almost to run into Isis. She stopped me and said, "Glad to see that your up, Lena. We have to get going. The people who saved this world are waiting to see us, and they are at the base of the tower."   
I looked at Isis and said, "How many other worlds are there on this tower?"   
As we walked back to the tower, she said, "About 3 other major ones, but we won't stay long at those." We entered the tower and then started down it again. As we continued, Isis said, "The first one we'll pass is the World of Sky. There is no land, and everything grows on the clouds. The next one is the World of Ocean. In the ocean is another world where people can breathe underwater."   
As we passed floor by floor, I said to Isis, "How were the fiends held here?" I was starting to wonder how those four powerful entities had been bound into this world.   
Isis just said, "From what the people who saved this world told me, each field was bound to a Sphere representing each element. Those people now have each Sphere locked away in their castle. They have offered to give us the power to bind the fiends to their worlds so the cannot escape their realms again."   
I started wondering more about the Spheres. I couldn't take my mind of them. Something told me they meant something. It wasn't long until we were at the base of the tower. I looked at Isis and said, "Where to now?"   
Isis pointed to a castle in the mountains. "There. We need to make our way through mountain tunnels to get there." Isis was right. We made the short trek to the first mountain tunnel, and travelled through tunnel and tunnel. It was like they wanted to be sure that no one could get to them. I started to scratch at my arm. I felt like something was iritating it. Isis looked at me and said, "Is something wrong, Lena?"   
I just shook my head and said, "Just an itch. I'll be fine."   
When we emmerged at the caslte, I heard the voice again. [That is all it is, an itch. You're just growing up.] I was scared now. I noticed as Isis started to speak with the guard. I knew she was expected, and the guards then escorted us up to the throne room.   
When we arrived, the Queen said, "Isis, it is good to finally meet you. In our legends, we read where you had to sever our world from all of them. I am happy that we finally were able to rejoin."   
I heard Isis say, "And I am pleased to meet the person who removed the evil from this world. I must admit that your castle is huge, but why the odd shape of your throne room."   
I heard the voice in my head again. [They are in here. You know where they are.] I looked at the corners. The spheres were in there. I couldn't help myself now. I started to walk over to one of the corners.   
As I approached the corner, I heard the Queen say, "You're companion seems to suspect their purpose. The Spheres are in each corner. They are used as a defense system. If your friend were to be strong enough to open just one corner, it would trigger the defense system."   
When I reached the corner, I heard Isis come up behind me and say, "Lena, don't touch that." I felt my arm swing back and knock her to the floor. I then noticed it as Isis noticed. "No. It can't be." I saw the crystal intertwined onto my arms. I wasn't free anymore. I was a Crystoid.   
I heard the voice say again. [Good, now open the panel. The beams won't hurt you.] I did it, I couldn't stop myself. Soon, the room was flooded with light, as four beams shot out. I turned and watch Isis, and she wailed in pain. Soon the beams stopped, and Isis was nothing but a chared corpse. The voice laughed in delight and said, [Good, now place the Spheres were they belong. When you have the last Sphere, I will bring you home for the ceremony.] I turned and removed the item I had been wearing. I openned the panels on my body and placed each sphere in one. It felt so good to have their power in me. I had almost forgot of what I had done.   
When I placed the last Sphere in me, I saw everything change. I was being transported to the World of the Crystoids. I looked to my left to see Sharm looking at me. He just said, "The Queen has been waiting for you." He led me to a room. In the room, in the floor, was a large pool like structure, with many Crystoids standing around it. They had hoses from various parts of their bodies. I knew what it was.   
Then I saw her. She was standing in front of the pool. I walked over to her and kneeled. She just said, "Rise servent. You have almost completed your task. Look out there." I looked out at the sky and saw four forms shoot off into the sky and explode. "It will take time, but they will return to help you. Now it is time for you to fully join us."   
I followed her into the pool and said, "Yes, my mistress." I saw the Queen of the Crystoids smile. When we reached dead center. I saw the producers begin their task, and the chemical started to surround us. It felt so good. I felt complete.   
As it reached my knees, the Queen held me close and started to kiss me. I had to serve her. As I returned the kiss, I heard her voice in my head again, [I have waited for you for so long. You are the one we have all waited for.] I started forgeting my past at that moment, as the chemical went over our heads. 

Fin...? 


	30. An Immortal's Rest

An Immortal's Rest   
A Story And Addendum For Memoirs Of The Heroes. (Previously "Memoirs Of An Adventure's Child."))   
(All Characters Are Ficticious And bare no resemblence to living people. Any resemblence to fictional characters is only by chance. Special Thanks to Howard Phillips Lovecraft)   
===================================================== 

I had been exploring the Nasty Dungeon after I heard about a finding down there when I heard the terrible news. I made my way out of the dangerous place and headed for the Celestrial Temple that had been Isis' home. I still couldn't believe she was dead. I still didn't know how she died, but I felt I would learn at the ceremony. Along the way to the exit of the dungeon, I saw numerous markings on the walls, and they led me to the conclusion I knew they would. Maybe at the funeral, I could tell everyone what I had found. It could bring joy to this sorrowful day. I had been more shocked when I finally exited the cave. The camp I had set up was almost deserted, and a few of the people I brought with me had fled. When I approached the camp, I looked at Tom and said, "What's happening?"   
Tom looked at me and said, "They are fleeing. The world is dying. I don't know how long the world will last with Isis dead."   
I looked around at the sight around me. "Isis' people had said that when the last Cetra died. It's no different now." I didn't know how true that was. The trees were dying, and many animals were fleeing. Odd of all, all the monsters were even running for caves and area's where they might be safe. As I made my way to the pillar, I said to Tom, "Do you think the Guardians are ready?'   
Tom just said, "Many of the Guardian outposts are equipped to start an underground world. We just need to be able to cope with all the people."   
As I started up to the Celestrial World, I said, "You help get some of them started. We may need to dig deep, and hope we can connect the worlds somehow." I wasn't sure how much the loss would affect our world, but I felt it would have a huge impact. I realized how big an impact it would be when I saw the Celestrial World. The tiles had almost gone black. This was not a good sign at all.   
When I finally reached the Celestrial Temple, I saw some of the guardians, including Joel, standing at the door. When he saw me, he said, "Mask, it's good you got here. You know more about the old legends than any of us."   
I looked at Joel and said, "What happended? How did Isis die?"   
Joel grabbed my shoulders and said, "In a moment, we need to know one thing. Not to long ago, four colored lights shot from points of the Celestrial world and exploded high in the sky. Is there a prophecy about that?"   
I felt the life drain out of me. "According to an old legend, if the last Ancient is not killed by one of the four fiends, they will explode and reform. Joel, what you just said is not good at all."   
I then saw the Captain come over to me and say, "You don't mean that we are looking at the Dawn of Darkness, do you Mask?"   
I nodded, and said, "When Isis was helping me learn about the past of our world, and the time of the Cetra's and their kin, she told me of many prophecies that were made. Some concerning the era of Darkness. According to tales, the Era of Darkness were preluded by the Dawn of Darkness, where frightful creatures would descend from the vast reaches of the sky and cause grief. If these creatures are not defeated before all the parts of Shoac are destroied, the Era of Darkness will never end until Sherp, the day when everything ends. Now, who killed Isis?"   
I saw how much it bother Captain. He just said, "I lost my sons. I had lost my grandson, and now my granddaughter."   
That bothered me. I never told him I was his grandson, but now would be the best time, but Lena was gone. I looked at the Joel and the Captain and said, "What happened to her?"   
I heard another Guardian say, "She was a damn Crystoid. She faked not being one, and then killed Isis." I couldn't believe that. Lena would never be like that. Besides, I could tell in her eyes not long before that she was not a Crystoid.   
Joel then said, "It is possible that the Crystoids had made her one without her knowing it. It would explain alot, like her actions."   
I saw a battle was about to start and said, "Listen, argueing about it doesn't change the fact that Isis is dead. Now if Lena was being influence or acting on her own is not ours to judge."   
Captain then said, "You're right. Let's view the funeral ceremony and then we must make plans. If this is the Dawn of Darkness, we need to hide as many people as we can, and far underground."   
I watched as everyone nodded and headed into the temple. I stopped the Captain and said, "Sir, I need to talk to you, and Rich's family. It is about Vet, and other important issues." I saw him nod and we entered the temple. 

The ceremony had been long, and very sad. Deep down, I never thought I would see this day, but I knew it was coming. I had seen Rotat perdict it. I had not know how many lives that Isis had affected in her time, but the list was countless. I was even surprised when I heard how far back her family went. It made me realize that I needed to let my family know I was still alive. Even JaNa needed to know that I was alive. I had suggested that we meet in the back room of the Temple. When Captain, my mother and JaNa entered the room, I noticed that JaNa appeared to be a little more that she was when I had left those years ago, although it might have been only months to them. Finally Captain looked at me and said, "You needed to talk to us about Vet. What have you found?"   
I noticed a look of hope cross JaNa's eyes as she asked, "Have you found my mother?"   
I wanted to tell her what I had found, but I felt that what I was about to say was more important. "I'll get to that, but there is something more important. All that has happened resently has made me realize that I've lost touch with my family."   
My mother looked at me and said, "Do you want to go talk to Lynn?"   
I shook my head and said, "No, not Lynn. I mean my family. My grandfather, my mother, and even my first love. My life has been a mess ever since what happened to me all those years ago."   
Captain looked at me and said, "Mask, what do you mean by that?"   
I reached up for the odd mask I had worn for many years, and said, "This is what I mean."   
As I removed the mask, I heard my mother said, "It's you."   
It was at that time when JaNa threw her arms around me and gave me a long kiss and said, "I knew you were alive. I've missed you so, but why didn't you tell us earlier?"   
I had found myself asking the same question to myself. I finally said, "I wasn't really sure. Now, with all that is happening, I felt I had to tell."   
My mother then said, "Well, I'm glad your back, with your father dead, and your sister lost to the Crystoids, we need your help. Also, your child will need a father." I then looked at JaNa. I finally realized why JaNa appeared different. She was with child.   
I held her and said, "How soon?"   
I heard Captain say, "I'm surprised she hasn't given birth yet. I think she's physically preventing it."   
I heard her say, "I want my mother to see her grandchild. Mom told me that I never knew my grandmother, but I want my child to know hers." I then saw a look of pain cross her face.   
My mother held JaNa and said, "We must do something. If JaNa doesn't have this baby soon, she'll kill herself and the child trying to prevent it."   
I didn't want that. I turned to Captain and said, "Sir, grandfather, I know where Vet is. She was imprisoned in the Nasty Dungeon, in one of the unexplored levels. We must rescue her."   
I watched my grandfather nod and say, "Li, take JaNa to the guardian base and tell Radr to send someone to the Nasty Dungeon. I'll get Joel and we will head down to find Vet. Maybe Vet can even help us prevent the era of Darkness from begining." I left with the Captain and we started to make our way back to the Nasty Dungeon. We needed to succeed, or it might cost two lives. 

To Be Continued... 


	31. Mysterious Findings

Mysterious Findings   
A Story And Addendum For Memoirs Of The Heroes. (Previously "Memoirs Of An Adventure's Child."))   
(All Characters Are Ficticious And bare no resemblence to living people. Any resemblence to fictional characters is only by chance. Special Thanks to Howard Phillips Lovecraft)   
===================================================== 

I have lost track of the time I have been stuck in this horrid place. I can't remember how long ago it was when those demented people put me in the dungeon. They had planned to revive some man named Sephiroth, but when St. Marius took over my body, it had almost ruined their plans. They had imprisoned me in some of the deepest levels of the Nasty Dungeon. Since they placed me down here, I have been beaten to within an inch of my life on numerous occasions, almost eaten on others, although some monsters did manage to get a bite in. There have been a few times that I wish one of these creatures would kill me, but everytime I feel that I'm finally going to get eternal peace, that familiar that they placed me with always prevented it. I looked over at the creature and saw the mischevious look it gave me. It was toying with me. I had heard legends that some familiars are External. That meant I would never die. I could have my body ripped to shred, but I would not die. I just said to the creature, "I hate you. I wish something would kill you."   
Just as I had said that, I heard something down one of the passages say, "Mmmm, I hear something." I heard a sniffing sound, and the thing said, "Smells like a female." I ran down one of the passages. I knew what the creature was looking for. Its words gave it away. Maybe I shouldn't of spoke to the familiar.   
When I came to the end of passage, I entered a strange room. I had never seen it before. I quietly said to myself, "What is this?" The room was covered with pictures. As I looked at the walls, I realized that the pictures told a story. I looked around and tried to find the beginning of the pictures.   
Soon, I found the beginning of the pictures. The first one looked like a person standing in the center of four spheres. It also appeared that bolts were coming from each of the spheres. As I gaze at that picture, I heard an unearly voice say, "When an immortal is killed by the four eyes.."   
I blinked and said quietly, "An immortal, does that mean Isis?"   
I moved to the next picture to see the images of the four elements and animals next to them. Next to each animal there was what looked like an image of a cloud. The voice spoke again "The creatures of Fire, Wind, Earth and Water will be destroied."   
When I heard that, I remembered what my components had seen. The four fiends. They each were bound to an element. I looked at the image and said, "Who will destroy them?"   
The next image showed the four clouds again, but this time they showed what looked like riders coming from each cloud. "In time, the Riders will come from the sky." This voice was starting to scare me.   
I then noticed that in each rider was a symbol. I had seen the symbols before, in a book. "Those are runes." I also remembered the some runes were never mentioned because they were evil. I had seen the images, but I never knew what they were runes of.   
The next picture showed the image of a woman, and the four runes, plus seven crystals. In front of which was a red figure. The voice then said, "When the evil is restored, and the runes and crystals in place, the destiny of this world is decided." I stepped back at that time. It was the return of Shoac, but more. I thought about it and realized that this was a dark omen.   
I stepped back and gasped. It seemed to mean a terrible thing was coming, and the only thing we could do to stop it was keep Isis alive. I then heard movement up the passage I came from. "Oh no. More monsters." I turned and saw another passage, leading downward. My survival instinct lead me to run down the tunnel.   
As I ran into the tunnel, I heard that voice again. "Yes, safety is down there." That had me worried, especially as the tunnel took an unearthly look. I ran fast when I could hear something enter the chamber I had left. I didn't know what it was, and I didn't want to find out.   
Soon, I entered the horrid looking chamber. It looked like it was alive. As I looked around the room, I saw numerous purple blobs, all lying on the floor. I proceeded into the room cautiously. I didn't want to wake a one of them. I even carried the familiar, to make sure it didn't wake a one of them. I then noticed that the familiar was scared. It didn't like these creatures. I looked around the room, trying to see a path out, but the walls were so weird that I couldn't even tell if there was a door to enter this room. I couldn't even see the door I had entered. I felt myself start to shake as I said, "Where am I? What are those things?"   
The voice returned and answered my question, but in a way I didn't want an answer. "Children, food is here." I looked around as the blobs started to bounce. They were all bouncing at me. I had to move quick to dodge all of them.   
I didn't know how long I could dodge them, but I needed to do something to escape. I looked at one coming straight at me. I raised my hand and said, "No you don't, whatever you are." A cast a force bolt spell at the one as it neared me, and I realized I made a mistake. It exploded and sent me screaming into a wall.   
I looked for the familiar, and saw a blob pounce onto it. I then saw another blob pounce onto my legs. I thought I was a goner. The thing was going to eat me. Then I heard it. A voice yelling, "I think she ran down here." It wasn't a monster. I saw who it was as they entered. It was Max, or as he was known now, Mask. He had told me his secret so many years ago. I also saw Rich's father, Captain, and wondered where my friend was. The blob leapt off me, and then went to attack my friend. It was a short fight, as they were all ready for the attack. Soon, there was a huge explosion dead center.   
When I opened my eyes, Mask was at my side and said, "Vet, we found you. We have to get you out of here." I didn't want to argue with him.   
As they all worked to carry me, and my familiar out, I looked at Mask and said, "Where is Rich? I see the Captain, but where is Rich?"   
He then said, "He's with Isis." I started to wonder if she was down here, but something in his tone said more. He looked at me and said, "They know, Vet, they know I'm Max."   
I looked at him as we passed through the room with the pictoglyphs and said, "Is Isis dead?" I saw him nod. I then said, "That mean's Rich is dead too." I had missed so much, and I feared I would never see him again.   
I then heard Captain say, "At least you have something good to look forward to. JaNa is with child, and soon will give birth, but she wants you there." I was surprised. I didn't know that JaNa was with child.   
I looked at them and said, "Who's the father?"   
I was surprise when Max said, "I am. It's a long and complicated story. But we must get you to the Guardian base. The Dawn Of Darkness is starting, and we need to get everyone safe in underground shelters."   
I looked back and said, "What about this world, what will you do?" After seeing those things, and hearing that voice, I was scared more now than ever.   
I then heard the Captain say, "Just from what we saw down there, we might have to sever off this world. It's a pity, we could have housed many people here."   
I then remembered part of the pictoglyphs and said, "I need to tell you some things. They maybe helpful."   
Max just nodded and said, "You can tell me, after you rest at the Guardian base, and after JaNa has had her child." I nodded. I decided that maybe I needed rest. I couldn't get much in that horrid place, and now I was free of it.   
  



	32. Last Child

Last Child   
A Story And Addendum For Memoirs Of The Heroes. (Previously "Memoirs Of An Adventure's Child."))   
(All Characters Are Ficticious And bare no resemblence to living people. Any resemblence to fictional characters is only by chance. Special Thanks to Howard Phillips Lovecraft)   
===================================================== 

I was overjoyed when Max had returned my mother to me. After what had happen all those months ago, I though I would never see her again. Something in me had faith that I would, by surpressing the birth of my child. Now, I was sitting in the bed, holding my newborn, and talking with my mother. I just said, "Mom, you don't know how much I missed you."   
My mother, Vet, took my hand and said, "I do know, cause I missed you that much as well. It has been almost another lifetime for me." I knew how true those words were. For five years, she was not herself. Her body was taken over by St. Marius. After that, she had been wrongfully imprisoned by the followers of Sephiroth in the Nasty Dungeon. She then said to me, "JaNa, what are you going to name your child?"   
I held my child close to me. I couldn't believe that I was a mother so soon in my life. I was almost afraid that my child wouldn't have a father, but then we found Max again, I was more overjoyed, but not as much as my mother's safe return. "I don't know yet, Mom. Did you know that Max is the father?"   
My mother nodded. "Max had told me when he rescued me from that horrid place. When did it happen?"   
I knew to what my mother had been refering to. I looked down at my child again, and softly said, "After we rescued your spirit component. At least that was our first time." I felt a bit ashamed, since I hadn't waited until I had gotten married.   
I felt my mothers hand hold mine as she said, "I think you might have done the right thing. I have a bad feeling about the future."   
I had a feeling that while my mother was in her horrible imprisonment, she had found something. I looked over at my mother and said, "Mom, what did happen to you, and what did you find out down there?"   
My mother sighed a heavy sigh and said, "What happened to me started long before any of us were born, my child. I found out more when I was down in that deep level of the Nasty Dungeon. You see, long ago, Isis' people strived for something called the promised land of the Cetra, but there were other beings at odds with the Cetra, one even came to the world we now know. One of those beings was called Jenova, and she was grafted into a few people. Before long, the Ancients managed to defeat Jenova, and the strongest of her followers, a man named Sephiroth."   
I was stunned when my mother said that name. I looked at her and said, "Mom, he appeared shortly after you disappeared. His followers had freed him from death somehow."   
She nodded and said, "They were planning it, and when St. Marius took over my body, they blamed me for one of their original members death." Now I understood why my mother disappeared. Not for the cause of peace as MegN had claimed, but for chaos. They wanted my mom out of the way. She then said, "But what I found out was more devistating then anything anyone could now."   
I almost jumped out of my skin when I heard a voice say, "I doubt it would be devistating now." I turned and smiled when I saw who it was. It was Max. He wasn't wearing the mask he wore right now, but I knew it was him. He sat down next to me and said, "A boy or girl?"   
I looked at him and said, "A girl. I haven't decided on a name yet." I noticed a sad in Max's face. I then said, "What's wrong?"   
I noticed that he didn't want to answer the question. He just looked over at my mother and said, "Vet, did you see anything else down there? Any other stories?"   
She shook her head and said, "Only those strange pictographs that I saw before you rescued me. I didn't notice all of them, but I saw most of them. It was very scary." I didn't like the sound of that. It also had me more worried about Max's reaction.   
I turned to him and said, "My love, what's wrong? What's going on?" I was scared now. Scared at the whole situation in general. Since Isis' death, we were forced underground. Very few people were left above ground. It was as if the world was about to end.   
Max looked at me and said, "Right after your child was born, all the other mothers that were expecting couldn't give birth, and those that did gave birth to stillborns. I remember reading about this. According to a legend, when the Dawn of Darkness happens, there would be no more life entering the world. I don't remember all of the legend, but there is a way to return life to our world again."   
I looked at my child and said, "You mean that my child may be the last child?" When he nodded, I felt like I was about to cry. Then another grim thought crossed my mind. "What about food? How will we get food, if new plants can't be born?"   
Max took my hand and said, "The Guardians will take care of that. The main base has devices that can create any type of food. We just hope we can stop the evil before it takes hold."   
It was at that time when I head Radr say, "I THINK WE HAVE A FEW THINGS TO WORRY ABOUT. I FOUND SOME THINGS OUT AND FOUND THAT THE EYE'S CRYSTAL PATTERN MATCHES TWO OTHER ITEMS." I remembered the Eye, the evil gem that corrupted my friend, Lena. Radr then said, "ONE ITEM WAS THE CRYSTAL OF THE CRYSTOIDS. I THINK THAT THEY MIGHT BE THE KEYS TO WHAT IS HAPPENING."   
I looked up and said, "Radr, do you mean to say that Lena did this because the Crystoids forced her to join a cult."   
Radr then said, "NO. THE CRYSTOIDS MAGIC ABILITIES STEM FROM THE EVIL CRYSTALS MERGED INTO THEM. NO ONE EVER KNEW THERE TRUE ORIGINS, BUT NOW WE SUSPECT THAT THE ANCIENTS IN THE BATTLE FROM MANY YEARS AGO ACCEPTED HELP FROM THE GREATS. THE RESULT WAS THE CRYSTOIDS. I ALSO BELIEVE THE SPHERES THAT WERE TAKEN AT ISIS' DEATH WERE THE SAME."   
I then saw Joel at the door and he said, "But they know that there are seven out there. Plus they need four runes and the power of Shoac." I looked at my father's friend. He had a gift for seeing things. He then said, "I don't think they know where the stone is, but we just found out."   
I gasped and said, "Where is it? We have to prevent the Crystoids from getting it." I knew that if they got it, they might be unbeatable.   
Radr then said, "IT IS MAX'S MASK. IT IS THE SAME MAKE AS THE EYE AND THE CRYSTALS. NO DOUBT THAT IT IS THE LAST STONE THEY NEED. IF THEY GET IT AND THE RUNES, WE HAVE NO FUTURE."   
I almost wanted to cry when I heard that. I then looked at my child and realized that unless things happened for the better, and soon, she would indeed be the last child. 

End... 


	33. Riders From The Storm

Riders From The Storm   
A Story And Addendum For Memoirs Of The Heroes. (Previously "Memoirs Of An Adventure's Child."))   
(All Characters Are Ficticious And bare no resemblence to living people. Any resemblence to fictional characters is only by chance. Special Thanks to Howard Phillips Lovecraft)   
===================================================== 

As I ventured to the surface with two of my friends, I started to wonder what it would look like. Years ago, my mother told me that everyone had to move underground. I even remember my mother telling me "Hope, never go to the surface. Only the Guardians should go up there." Those words only made me want to find out more. Now that I am thirteen, I thought it would be best to sneak up with a few of my friends. We had grown up together. I always thought it was odd that no one was younger than me, but my mom said my name had a meaning.   
As we neared the surface, Ken, my one friend said, "You ok, Hope. Not getting cold feet, are you?"   
I gave him a wry smile and said, "No, sorry to disappoint you." I knew Ken had a crush on me. I even think this is why he agreed to this forbidden trip to the surface. I knew it was risky with all the Crystoid attacks. My grandmother once told me that the Crystoids were very secretive in their attacks and abductions. Very rarely had they found their way into the underground complexes.   
Jack, my other friend, said, "I bet he is disappointed." Jack is the kind of friend I could kid around with. He was the one who told me that Ken had a crush on me. Jack was like a brother to me. He was 16, and my mother always trusted him to keep me safe.   
When we finally reached the door that lead to the surface, I felt nervous. I wondered if there were Crystoids just waiting for us. After I took a moment to calm down, I said, "Alright, let's hope all is quiet out there." I started to push on the door and soon it openned.   
As we stepped out into a blind that was set up near the door, I saw Ken look out and say, "I think this was a bad idea. Look." Both Jack and I looked out and noticed that half of what we saw had become an extention of the Crystoid's world. It was not a sight I wanted to see.   
I knew my mother had said that this use to be a beautiful world. My grandmother had even grown up in this world. Now, it was almost a mix of robotics and crystal with the organic. As I looked out, I noticed that one structure could be recongnize. I pointed at it and said, "That was the temple of the Ancients. My mother said that that was where the whole deal with the Route and St. Marius began."   
Jack then said, "Yea, and it looks like the Crystoids are preparing for something to happen." I notice how they moved, and he was right. They were preparing for something, or someone.   
I was almost in shock when Ken said, "Well, I'm going to go for a closer look." Before either Jack and I could stop him, Ken had left the blind and working his way down for a closer look.   
I looked over at Jack and said, "He's going to get us killed. We better keep an eye on him." He nodded and we made our way slowly down the hill to where he was. As we approached, I noticed a small procession, like guards guarding someone. I realized it had to be the Crystoid leader, or leaders.   
We stopped and hid at that point and listen when the leader just said, "Is everything ready for their arrival?" As the other Crystoids nodded, she said, "Good. Our sacred one has the runes and when they arrive, they shall receive the runes to power them."   
I turned to Jack and said, "The Crystoids have a sacred one?"   
Jack turned to me and said, "Yea, some of what I heard was that their sacred one was the one who killed Isis. Not many people know much more about it, but I think your mother and grandmother can answer that one."   
This puzzled me even more. I had heard that Isis was dead, and I wasn't born until shortly after the time of her death. My mother had said she had prevented my birth until after my grandmother was found. I didn't know much more than that. At that time Ken said, "Looks like their sacred one is coming. Look."   
As we all looked, we saw about ten Crystoids walking around one lone Crystoid. When they had finally reached the area the leader was, the lone one walked up to them, carring a case. I noticed that there were about six different crystals part of that Crystoid. Soon, it spoke. "How soon until they arrive?"   
I heard the leader say, "Soon, Portal, soon. Then you can give them the signs." I then noticed that the sky had turned darker that it had been, and I heard the leader say, "It looks like they have arrived."   
I saw Ken point up at the dark clouds that had arrived and I saw something that scared me. Coming from the clouds were four horse riders. They came riding down in a straight line. One following another, and I wondered if the one in the lead was their leader, or if it was the one in the back. As the descended to the temple, I could make out the color of their horses. The first one rode a white horse. I could not tell much it looked like because it wore an odd armor. The second one's horse was blood red. The third horse was black, so black that light seemed to be absorbed into it. The last horse was pale, so pale that I could see inside it. As they reached the temple and landed, I noticed strange impressions on their armor. I said to both Ken and Jack, "What are they? They look evil."   
Ken looked at me and said, "I don't know, but let's slowly get away. Last thing we want is for those things to realize we're here."   
As we started to back away, I saw that the leader and the one named Portal stepped up to the four horsemen and said, "Horsemen, we have awaited your arrival, and have the items you need to fulfill your tasks." I watched as the leader approached the one on the white horse and it removed it's helmet. It's face looked like it terribly diseased. "Pestilence, I give you the Rune Of Black Magic. Inflict those with your terminal plague to energize the rune."   
I heard the rider speak in a sickly voice, "I shall do so." I watched as the leader handed the rider the rune from the box Portal was carrying.   
I watched as the leader moved to the one on the red horse. That rider did not remove it's helmet. It looked as if it was truely ready for the battle. The leader then said, "War, I give you the Rune Of Earth Magic. May you slay many in battle, and wound many in near fatal ways to energize that rune." All the rider did was grunt, and held up a sword. The leader then turned to the rider on the black horse. It removed it's helmet, and it looked like the skin was just clinging to the bones. "Famine, I give you the Rune Of Hell Magic. Starve the people and fuel it with their famish souls."   
I listened as the rider spoke in an almost hollowed voice, "I hear and it will be done."   
I almost froze when the leader of the Crystoids spoke again. "Last, but not least, is their leader. They will fuel your rune as you follow your name sake." I watched as the rider on the pale horse finally removed his helmet. It was nothing but a skull. I then heard the leader say, "Death, fuel the Rune Of Elder Magic."   
We were halfway to the blind when Ken's foot snapped a twig. I saw as everyone looked our direction. I felt my blood run cold, espescially as the last rider looked at us and with a gastly voice said, "I will start with those three." With that, each of the horseman started towards us.   
I heard Jack shout, "Run for the blind." He didn't have to shout it. I was already running up to the bind. I hoped that we all could make it.   
Just as we were near the blind, I heard a fall. I turned to see that Ken had stumbled and started rolling down toward the riders. I looked down and shouted, "Ken!!"   
As he rolled, he shouted, "Never mind me, tell the Guardians. Warn them!"   
I wanted to go back for him, but Jack pulled me into the blind and shut the door. "He's right. We need to tell the guardians, and hurry out of here before those things break in." He was right. I took a quick glance out the blind window, and saw the rider know as Death touched Ken. I saw him die right there. I wanted to cry, but I saw how the rune in the armor started to glow.   
I ran to the path and door that lead to the underground and said, "You're right, Jack. We need to warn the Guardians, and I hope they know a way to kill these beings." As we entered and closed the door, we activated the security lock downs that were on the doors special protective layers. I hope it would keep the riders out as we made our long treck back down to the base. 

********************************************* 

It had been two hours since we returned from the surface. I was grounded for doing what I had done. My mother had not been thrilled, and I don't think the Guardians were too thrilled either. I didn't think it was fair. Personally, knowing that I was responsable for Ken's death felt like punishment. Why did he have to die? Why couldn't it have been me? I started to wonder if I cared for Ken the same way he had cared for me. I was almost lost in that thought when I heard my door open, and both my grandmother and mother came in. I watched as my mother walked over and said, "Hope, I'm sorry about punishing you. I forgot what it was like to be a headstrong child. I did the same thing when I was younger."   
I looked at my mother and said, "You did something dangerous like I did."   
My grandmother just nodded and said, "Yes, Hope, your mother JaNa did do something foolish." I saw my mother blush. I had never really heard my grandmother refer to my mother by her real name. She then said, "Your mother thought that she could do some good, but her good intentions lead your uncle to where Isis had hid your mother and I from the evil Route of Rigge."   
I was almost shocked, and then my mother said, "And what we had to do to rescue your grandmother, I think, had costed us alot. It cost my friend her freedom, and Isis her life."   
I looked at my mother and said, "You mean the Crystoid the others called Portal?"   
My mother looked at me and said, "You saw Lena." It was as if she knew what I was talking about. She then turned to my grandmother and said, "Mom, could Lena be responsable for these riders?"   
My grandmother just bit her lip and then said, "I think I'll go talk to Joel and Radr. Maybe they can answer that." She walked out of the room, but something in her actions told me she was worried. That had me worried as well. 

The beginning of the end? 


	34. Fear Factor

Fear Factor   
A Story And Addendum For Memoirs Of The Heroes. (Previously "Memoirs Of An Adventure's Child."))   
(All Characters Are Ficticious And bare no resemblence to living people. Any resemblence to fictional characters is only by chance. Special Thanks to Howard Phillips Lovecraft)   
(Some items in this story were inspired by the events of September 11, 2001. I do not condone the actions, and this story is in memoriam of the victims of that disaster.)   
===================================================== 

I looked at Radr as I told him the same story again. Each time I had told him about Hope's encounter on the surface, he acted like he couldn't believe it. I finally sighed and said, "Do you need me to tell you again what happend?" More and more I had seen that Radr had lost most of his emotions. I didn't know if that was a good thing or not.   
Radr just said, "I'M SORRY, VET. I MUST ADMIT IT SOUNDS A BIT FAR FETCHED. I WISH I COULD VISUALLY CONFIRM IT." I could understand that. I couldn't even accept the notion, but I knew Hope wouldn't lie. Yes, she disobeyed orders to stay underground, but she wouldn't lie.   
I continued to pace back and forth and said, "Radr, I know it sounds like a folktale, but Hope has no reason to lie. Something terrible has arrived. We need to start taking actions to stop them, and if we can, rescue Lena from the Crystoids." I noticed Radr was about to say something when all the lights in the room went red. I looked back at Radr again and said, "Radr, what's happening? Why are all the lights red?"   
I watched as his screen lit up and showed information to him. "THERE HAS BEEN AN EXPLOSION IN TWO OF THE UNDERGROUND AREAS. THE DOORS ARE BEING SEALED TO PROTECT THE OTHER AREAS FROM POSSIBLE RADIATION. THE PEOPLE THERE ARE GOING TO HAVE TO HEAD OUT TO THE BLINDS IN THOSE AREAS." It was a nightmare. Two areas, both hit with explosions. I started to wonder if it was linked to what had happened up above. Soon Radr exclaimed in what had to be shock, "THIS CAN'T BE RIGHT. I'M REGISTERING AN EXPLOSION, BUT NO RADIATIONS. IT LIKE IT WAS A PHANTOM BOMB DESIGNED TO GIVE OFF THE IMPRESSION OF LETHAL DANGER."   
I just said, "Or it's leading in lethal danger. I'm going to one of the sections." Before Radr could even protest, I started to run through the complex, heading in the direction of one of the sealed off sectors. The one problem with that was that the sectors were far away from the main complex. 

******************************************** 

When I finally reached the door to the one sector, I went to open it. It had been a long run, but I had to hurry. Before I could even get the door open, I noticed a green light lit. It was a contagion/contamination warning. I went to a com unit and said, "Radr, the one sector is reporting contagion or contamination. What should I do?"   
Soon, I heard Radr say, "IN THE BOX NEAR THE DOOR IS A PENDANT THAT PROTECTS FROM ALL POISONS AND MOST MALADIES. YOU'LL WANT TO WEAR THAT, AND CAST SOME SORT OF PROTECTIVE MAGIC." I openned the box and grabbed the pendant. I had heard that very few of those pendants had existed. I was glad the Guardians had thought of this.   
After I had put it on, I said to Radr, "Ok, I found the pendant, and I'm casting a Regen spell on myself. Now, can I go in." I cast the spell and hoped it would last enough. I knew there was a time limit on the spell, and if it wore off, I was not in a place I could restore it.   
Then, Radr said, "CONTROL DOOR IS NOW READY. YOU CAN SAFELY ENTER." I openned the first door and entered the small area between the doors to the sectors. I waited for the first door to seal back up and then watched as the second door openned. As I stepped through, I hear Radr say, "BE CAREFUL, AND HIT THE SWITCH TO LEAVE THERE."   
I just said, "Alright," and moved forward. When I came to the first intersectiion, I was startled to see a body lying there. When I got close enough, I found it was still alive, but just from sight, I could see it was racked with disease. As I got closer, I could tell it was one of the women from Edo. I looked at her and cast a Regen spell on her. I was horrified that all it did was manage to keep her at the same state she was at. I looked at her and said, "What happened?"   
She looked at me and with an effort that told me that told me that she was about to die, said, "Crystoid got in. Entered shrine. Sounded like explosion. Horseman entered." With that, I knew what had happened. She then managed to say, "People captured, people dying. Save yourself."   
I looked at her and said, "I will, but I will save who I can save." I ran back to the door and cast an old spell I had found in texts. Using it, I could return to the door to the sector without worry. I then ran back to the person and said, "Which way to the shrine?" She pointed down the one hall, and I knew which way I had to go. The Crystoids went to the most important spot to all of us, the shrine of Isis. They were constructed after Isis' death in every sector. It was a terror tactic. I wanted destory all of them at that point, but I knew that I shouldn't. Eventually, I encountered another body, not as far gone as the first one. It was Hana. I quickly case a Regen spell on her and noticed that she was getting better. I cast a Cure spell, and soon she was well enough to move. I looked at her and said, "Hana, can you get out of here?"   
She looked at me and said, "My family is on the upper levels. I have to get them out of here." When she said that, I knew that they were dead. I shook my head. She looked at me and said, "No, you don't mean that they are dead. They can't be dead."   
I looked at her and said, "When I came in, I found a woman who was near death. Even the Regen spell I first cast on you did nothing but prolong the inevitable. If there are any others above the door, they'll be lucky if they are dead. Hana, please, head to the door and make your way to safety. Look for a green glow, that's a teleport spell transport point. It's in front of the door."   
She got up, and started to run off, only to stop and say, "Watch out for the horseman. Don't let him touch you." I watched as she ran off. I wondered if that was how the horsemen claimed their victims. Even Hope's account said that all the one did was touch her friend. I continued down towards the shrine, curing people as I moved. The closer I got to the shrine, the earlier the stages of illness was, and the quicker I was able to cure them. Soon, I felt like the Regen spell was about to wear off. I stepped into a small, empty room, and quickly recast it.   
Before I could leave the room, I heard footsteps. I quietly openned the door a crack and saw two crystoids with their backs to me. I head one say, "The leader wants to know if the seventh gem is here." I watched as the other shook it's head and the first continued by saying, "Portal needs that masked shape gem before the runes are ready and the power source is remerged." I now knew what they were talking about. The mask that Max wore, and Lena, who was turned into one of them. I watched as they continued out of sight and openned the door.   
I slowly moved in the direction they had headed. I was getting very close to the shrine. I watched as they entered the shrine. They had made their base there. I peeked in to see that they had desecrated the place. There was a small cylindrical device there, and they had several people bound up. I recognized a few. They were Hana's family. I saw the one Crystoid pick one up and take it to the cylandrical device and disappear. It was a transport device. They were taking the ones not dying to their world to absorb them into their group. That was all I could take. I quickly launched a fireball into the room, knocking the other Crystoid into the cylander and making both explode. I ran in and said, "Hana is going to be thankful that you are alive. You need to get out of here."   
As I worked at freeing them, I heard her son say, "I don't think we will make it." I saw fear in his eyes, and I turned around. Right there at the door, I saw the horseman. He was ridden with sickness. If Hope's description was right, he was Pestilence.   
I stood in front of all of them and said, "You won't claim anyone else today."   
The figure just looked at me and said, "You have been undoing all my work. You will pay for that." He started to advance. I did the only thing I could think of. I cast a low level Cure spell on him. He yowled in agony. Curing him meant killing him. Soon, the cured area became infected again and he said, "I will make you suffer for that."   
I looked at him and said, "Not today." I grabbed everyone and cast the teleport spell again. Soon, I was safely back to the exit. But I heard a movement coming from almost every direction. I hit the button to open the door. Soon enough the door openned and we all entered. The door closed just as I saw Pestilence run into hall. I heard him pound on the door as the process started for decontamination. Soon, the other door started to cycle open. Soon enough, the door was openned, and we all ran in. I then slammed the door shut, and resealed it.   
When I was done, Radr said, "VET, SOME SURVIVORS CAME THROUGH. WHAT HAPPENED?"   
When I had caught my breath, I said, "Alot. The Crystoids attacked the sectors. I think two of the horsemen were helping. And I found out some things." I watched as some of the Guardians escorted the others away, and I said, "One, there may be a way to destroy the horsemen. Two, the Crystoids are looking for Max's mask. And three, I heard two Crystoids mention remerging a power source. I think they are going to revive Shoac."   
I then heard Radr say, "ISN'T THAT IMPOSSIBLE WITH BOTH ST. MARIUS AND KLAR SPIRITS NON-EXISTANT?"   
I just said, "I don't think they were destroyed when I was rescued. I think that the Crystoid that help you then was working on some sort of master plan." I made my way back and just thought about what I had just said. St. Marius and my son's spirits still existed, and when the third one is found, they will merge into Shoac. Now all we needed to do was figure out why all this was needed. Maybe someone can figure it all out. 

The End May Be Approaching 


	35. Darkness Begins To Fall

Darkness Begins To Fall   
A Story And Addendum For Memoirs Of The Heroes. (Previously "Memoirs Of An Adventure's Child."))   
(All Characters Are Ficticious And bare no resemblence to living people. Any resemblence to fictional characters is only by chance. Special Thanks to Howard Phillips Lovecraft)   
===================================================== 

It had been almost two days since Vet told me everything about the attack. I knew that eventually I would have to believe in the horsemen. Even Joel had said they would arrive someday. He had even told me that when Isis had died. I wish I would have listened to him more. I couldn't believe it when he was found dead, by his own hand. It was around then I decided there was only one place to get answers, and that was from Rotat. From my calculations, this was when the probes I had launched would reach the Dimentional Hub. I had also called for my most trusted friends to help in this. I wasn't sure what questions to ask. When I saw the doors open, I just said, "THANK YOU ALL FOR COMING." I couldn't believe the emotion I was feeling.   
I saw Vet enter and say, "Radr, we all have a feeling what this is about. You want to find a way to destroy the horsemen." She had gotten to the point. She was the only of my original friends still alive. Rich was dead, killed by Sepheroth and his followers, and Skiz was killed by KLar.   
I then noticed that Li had sat down and said, "We all know what troubles are out there. And Vet has found a way to wound the one horseman." I also noticed that Max, JaNa, and Hope were with her.   
I looked in their direction and said, "I KNOW. IN FACT, THAT WAS GOING TO BE PART OF THIS. BUT FIRST, I NEED YOU ALL TO HELP ME IN SPEAKING WITH ROTAT. HE IS NOW THE ONLY BEING THAT I KNOW OF THAT HAS INSIGHT TO THE FUTURE." If it was possible, I probably would have cried.   
I then heard Max say, "You are still taking Joel's death very hard, Radr. I don't know why he killed himself, but he must have seen something that truely scared him. Maybe something he didn't want to accept as possible."   
I was surprised when another voice said, "That he did, young Max. It is good to see that you have returned to your loved ones." I turned on a monitor and saw that Rotat was looking at one of the probes. He then said, "You all must have questions, and the time you have to ask them is growing short."   
That statement alone changed my first question, "ROTAT, WHAT DO YOU MEAN BY THAT?" It had me worried. Was everyone to die in a few hours. Was there nothing we could do.   
Rotat smiled and said, "You aren't going to die today. It is just in a short while, the Dimentional Hub will no longer be accessable to you. It has become to risky to leave the hub open here."   
I heard Vet say, "You mean that you won't help us." I even had to admit that it was very disturbing.   
He shook his head and said, "No, I can give you some help. You must know that what I say means alot, but I will never give a full meaning." It was his way. Max had told me about that.   
I then heard Li ask, "Rotat, where did these horsemen come from?" It was an important question to everyone.   
Rotat just looked at us and said, "They had existed long before they existed. They were the four fiends. When Isis died, they exploded and became the four horsemen. Their destructive powers are magnified many times now, and they will usher in the final days if not stopped in time."   
I was thinking about Joel when he said that. Had Joel seen that no matter what we did, we would fail? I then heard Max ask, "What about my sister? Will we be able to free her if we succeed?" It was a big concern for Max and Li. Lena was the only other person left of his family that was unaccounted for.   
Rotat just looked in his direction and said, "All I can tell you is that her role in the future is the most important role. She is both the beginning and the end. The Alpha and the Omega."   
It was at that moment that JaNa said, "You mean to say that Lena is going to be something important when she's free, or when she's still a Crystoid?"   
I noticed the look on Rotat's face. I could tell he wasn't going to tell us. I then said, "ROTAT, CAN YOU TELL US HOW WE CAN DEFEAT THESE HORSEMEN? THERE MUST BE SOME WAY THEY CAN BE DESTORIED?" The whole idea of these horseman being unstoppable unnerved me.   
Rotat just said, "In order to defeat them, you must find what totally opposes them. Once you find that, you can use it to destroy them. I believe Vet found the way to oppose the horseman of Pestilence." I focused my attention on Vet.   
She just looked at all of us and said, "All I did was cast a cure spell. If cure can defeat pestilence, what defeats the others?"   
I heard Hope say, "Well, Calm would defeat war, and Life would destroy Death. All we need is to find a spell to counter Famine."   
I then header JaNa say, "I remember reading once about a spell that fills. I can't remember the way to invoke it, but it fills the target object."   
I then heard Rotat say, "Very wise, child. However, you must defeat the horsemen before all the gems are assembled, and the power source is merged. That is your only hope of being successful."   
I then noticed that Rotat was heading for the door. I quickly said, "ROTAT, WHICH OF THE FOUR HORSEMEN WOULD BE SIMPLEST TO DEFEAT?" It was an honest question. I didn't have to fear any of them, except for maybe War.   
Rotat just smiled and said, "Famine is the first you should go after. I recommend that you find the counter spell. Just remember, I know there is more that one way to defeat Famine." I was half puzzled by his remarks and watched as he dismissed the probe I had sent up with the closing of the door.   
When that happend, the hub was gone. I focused on all those at the meeting and said, "ALL RIGHT EVERYONE, WE HAVE TO PREPARE. VET, JANA, HOPE, HUNT DOWN THAT SPELL. WE KNOW CURE WORKS ON PLAGUE, SO FIND OUT WHAT THE MOST POWERFUL CURE IS. MAX, CHECK THE SURVALENCE OF THE OUTSIDE. MAYBE WE CAN FIND A KINK IN THEIR ARMOR. LI, CHECK THE LOGS OF WHAT HAPPENED IN THE OTHER AREA. FIND OUT WHICH HORSEMAN ENTERED THE OTHER AREA." With their orders, everyone went to their appointed tasks. I just hoped that the search for the spell would not need to go outside the base.   
I waited patiently, but I then saw Jack enter the room. In his hand he held a note. He looked at me and said, "Radr, I found this note in one of the books we have. It says 'To Radr, From Joel.'"   
I was stunned. Maybe it was an answer to why he died. I had Jack open it, only to reveal a data disk. I looked at him and said, "JACK, PUT THE DISK IN MY DISK DRIVE, AND GO HELP HOPE. SHE SHOULD BE IN THE LIBRARY." When he had done so, he left, and I started the disk.   
After a few seconds, I heard Joel's voice. "Radr, I know that if you are listening to this, someone found my gift for you. You are probably wondering why I took my own life. I know that in the days ahead, many will die. I decided to wait for them with Rich. The only thing I must say is that I foresaw something devistating. I don't know what it was, but I swear I saw the beginning of Sherp, the fabled last day. I hope that I'm wrong, but if I'm not, I rather be resting in peace than in eternal torment. Take care, my friend." His words scared me. Were we doomed to destruction? 

To be continued...   



	36. Tomes Of Forbidden Magic

Tomes Of Forbidden Magic   
A Story And Addendum For Memoirs Of The Heroes. (Previously "Memoirs Of An Adventure's Child."))   
(All Characters Are Ficticious And bare no resemblence to living people. Any resemblence to fictional characters is only by chance. Special Thanks to Howard Phillips Lovecraft)   
===================================================== 

I couldn't believe all the searching we had done over the past days. In the search for a spell to defeat the horseman known as Famine, we had not found anything on the Fill spell I had heard about. We had exhausted all the libraries in the Guardian Base, and we were no closer to finding it than we were when we met with Radr. Then, my grandmother, Vet, mentioned about a great Library in the world that the Monster's set up town. All of a sudden, we had to venture out into enemy territory and find this Library. We had just reached the exit into what used to be the Guardian Base Town, when my grandmother stopped and said, "Alright, we are about to venture into the outskirts of the Crystoid's realms. We still don't know how much of the old Guardian town was absorbed, nor do we know if any horsemen are out there. All we do know is that the Crystoids used War and Pestilence to attack the underground areas. We have an idea that Death and Famine are above ground."   
I heard my mother ask, "What do we do if we encounter one of the horsemen, mother?" My mother always said to treat my grandmother with more respect than anyone should get, and I did so.   
I then heard Jack say, "Simple, we pray we don't encounter one. We are lucky that we know how to counter most of them, but others are still a risk like Death." I knew what he meant. We watched our friend die due to Death's touch.   
I then looked at my mother and said, "Mom, why can't we travel directly to the former Monster world?"   
It was my grandmother who answered, "Hope, back when your mother turned eighteen, we travelled to all the places your grandfather and I had been. The monster world wasn't very friendly long ago, and when they made a town it got worse. They refused to help the guardians."   
I then heard my mother say, "Do you think they survived?" Something inside me had said the answer was no, but I didn't want to say it.   
My grandmother just said, "Listen, we should just stay together. Worst case, we use the Door I brought with us. Now, let's go. There is no telling how difficult this journey will be." My grandmother was right. This was going to be difficult. We headed out into what used to be the guardian base town. The exit still exited out into the ruins of one of the buildings, and it looked like nothing tried to inhabit it. However, when we looked out one of the windows, we saw the activity of at least a hundred Crystoids.   
I heard my mother say, "What are they doing out there?" I looked and saw that at least half of the Crystoids looked like they had hoses of some sort on them.   
I then heard my grandmother say, "I've heard from Radr that this is how they finish their absorbtion. Once it is laced with the gem and metal, these special Crystoids lurk about drenching items in their weird liquid. A few years ago, he was able to get a spy camera in there to witness the task."   
I then noticed movement and glanced in it's direction. I was almost in fear when I saw the horseman known as Famine, with the Queen of the Crystoids, and the one they called Portal. I just said, "The Horseman is here, with the two lead Crystoids."   
I heard my mother say, "Open the window, Hope. They look like they are talking."   
I did so, and soon I heard the hollow voice of Famine say, "The monsters are conquered. Many fell to me." I then noticed that the rune stone on his armor was glowing. That was not a good sign.   
Then the leader said, "Good. Once all the ruins are ready, and all the gems are found, Portal will fulfill her perpose. Was the one who has the last gem in that world?"   
I head Portal answer the question. "He would not be there. The monster's never got along with the guardians." I then saw that Portal flinched, as if she was in pain.   
I heard my mother say, "It's awful what they did to Lena."   
My grandmother was quick to say, "I don't know if they have her totally, JaNa. Crystoids don't flinch like that. She might still be resisting their control, but can't break free."   
I was about to ask why when the leader of the Crystoids said, "Do you need another bath, our sacred one?" I watched as Portal nodded. The leader then said, "Crystoids, our sacred one is in need of a bath. Prepare for it." Soon, all of the Crystoids headed in the direction of the mountains, but away from the Pillar of Sky we had been told about.   
I heard my mother say, "Maybe Lena is still fighting, but why is she so compliant?"   
Then my grandmother said, "Maybe the ruler has some influence over her. If we could, we would attempt a rescue, but I think we must use this oppertunity to head to the pillar. We will run when the Horseman is not looking in our direction."   
I watched as Jack openned the window farther and said, "Then let's go. The horsemen is going with the Crystoids. Once we can defeat him and the others. We can try to rescue Lena." Soon we had all jumped out the window, and were making a mad dash for the Pillar of sky. As we ran, I glanced back, to make sure we were still not seen. So far, it was clear. As we started to acsend into the sky, I noticed that the horseman was looking straight at us. He might have seen us.   
Before I could say anything, we were in what used to the be the Celestrial world. Now it was nothing more than a horrid extenstion of the Crystoid's home. As I looked out, my grandmother said, "Alright, we might not have much time to head to what used to be the monsters world. The Crystoids might be aware of our existance here."   
My mother then said, "I doubt it. We don't have far to go, and we can get there very fast." My mother lead us through the formal beautiful world to the pillar that lead to the Monster's world.   
When we finally entered their world, I was appauled by what I saw. All the land had withered corpses, like they had starved to death. I almost wanted to throw up, but I kept my cool. I looked at the town and said, "Ok, where do we go in there."   
My grandmother pointed at a huge building and said, "Right over there. That library has every book that has ever been writen. We will definatly find something in there on this fill magic." As we made our way there, we were careful not to touch any of the corpses. Thankfully, the library doors were open.   
Once inside, my mother said, "Ok, lets split up, but stay close. If Crystoids or any of the horsemen attack, we will need to make a fast escape." We nodded and started to search. As we searched, I found a book with odd spells in it. I could tell they were magic, but I couldn't tell what kind. One had a good title for use on Famine. It was called Terminal Fulfillment. As I commited some of the spells to memory, I heard Jack say, "Vet, JaNa, Hope. Come here. I found something on the 'Fill' spell."   
I ran over, still carrying the book, but saw the grim look on Jack's face. I looked at the spell and saw what he had seen. "It say's the spell must be writen on the item when it was created and bless when the item was created." It wasn't good. Then I held up the book and said, "But I found some spells in here that could work."   
I noticed the grim look on my grandmother's face. My mother then said, "Mom, what is it?"   
My grandmother just said, "JaNa. That is a tome of the forbidden magic. Back before the peace Isis helped bring, men and women fought for supremecy. Some even developed lethal spells to kill their enemies but bring a smile to their foes face as well."   
I then heard Jack say, "So whose side was that book from?" I then noticed how he looked at it. He seemed to have trouble understanding it.   
My grandmother looked at it and said, "Probably was a tome full of magic from the women's side of the war. Hope, how many spells did you read in there?"   
I had a feeling that this was a very serious matter, but before I could answer her, we heard a loud crash. It was followed by the hollow voice of Famine. "I know you are in here. You cannot escape. You shall die at my hands."   
I noticed my mother look towards the back, and I saw a small hallway there. My mother then said, "We can make it down there and use the door. We don't have a spell that will work."   
My grandmother just said, "I think we might have a spell that will work, but you two must get out of here. Hope and I will say."   
I heard Jack say, "Vet, we will stay with you. You can't fight Famine alone."   
My grandmother only replied, "Jack, I think Hope read a spell that will destroy Famine, but if you are here, if may kill you too. Right now, I don't want to take that chance. Now, you and JaNa, run for the back. If you want, wait five minutes before using the door. If you see Famine coming your way, use the door, regardless."   
They turned and headed for the hall. I saw my mother turn back and say, "Good luck you two." Soon, they rounded a corner and were out of sight.   
I was scared now. I looked at my grandmother and said, "Now what. I don't know how this spell works." I had read about the spell, and it felt like it was engraved in my head.   
My grandmother just said, "From looking at the book, I think all you have to do is stare and chant the incantation. That might be all it needs. Now, we must move fast. Famine is getting closer." She was right. I could heard the movement of the Horseman as he moved towards our position.   
I nodded and stepped out into the aisle. Famine was a distance away, but he saw me. "There you are. You are mine." He started advance, and I felt my eyes start to glow. I could even hear myself starting to chant. Soon, I saw Famine had stopped moving and had a strange look on his face. He just looked at me and said, "What are you doing to me?" I didn't know, but I think I was killing him.   
Soon, I heard a bubbling, like something was boiling. When I heard that, my grandmother said, "Keep staring, and I'll lead you to the hall." I did so and the boiling sound got louder. Soon enough, I saw Famine start to explode in a mass of glowing yellow goo. The shock made me stop chanting, and I watched as the Rune shoot through the roof. I could guess it was heading to the Crystoid base. Then I noticed the flood of unnatural goop that use to be the horseman of Famine coming towards us. I ran with my grandmother and we noticed that Jack and my mother had the door open.   
As we ran through, Jack slammed the door shut, and we were back at the Guardian Base. He then said, "Did you stop him?" When I nodded, he said, "How?"   
I just shook my head and said, "You don't want to know, but the Crystoids have one of their runes fully charged. We have to defeat the others before the runes are all charged." It was not a tall order, but I had a feeling that our last one would be close to the worst possible place." 

Not over yet...   



	37. Killer Cure

Killer Cure   
A Story And Addendum For Memoirs Of The Heroes. (Previously "Memoirs Of An Adventure's Child."))   
(All Characters Are Ficticious And bare no resemblence to living people. Any resemblence to fictional characters is only by chance. Special Thanks to Howard Phillips Lovecraft)   
===================================================== 

It has been a month since my granddaughter defeated the horseman known as Famine. I still think of the mess that spell had caused, but also at the relief that knowing one of the horsemen was gone. I may be one of the first ones to admit that even such a horrid thing didn't deserve the fate it got, but I had decided recently that something must be done about the solution to Famine. My granddaughter was still inexperienced at using magic, and I have had to cure many people she lost her temper at. Deep down, I know she didn't mean to hurt anyone, but she needed to learn self control. As I headed down to her quarters in the main base, I heard one of the guards scream in pain. I ran as fast as I could and knew what had happened. As I neared the scene, I heard Hope say, "Oh no. Not again. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to do this."   
When I arrived there, I knew what had to be done, I cast the highest level Cure spell I knew. Luckily, it was still early in the spells affects, so I wouldn't have to cast more than one spell. I then took Hope into her room and closed the door. "Hope, what happened?"   
When I looked into her eyes, I saw a scared little girl. "I'm sorry, grandmother. I wanted to go find you, but he said it wouldn't be wise for me to wander about. I just got upset, and it happened." She then just hugged me. I could tell she was scared. I needed to take her somewhere I could train her, without any one else getting hurt, or even killed.   
I made Hope sit down and said, "Listen up Hope. I'm going to ask JaNa and Radr if there is anyplace I can take you so I can teach you self control. Do you think you can wait until I return here." I watched as she nodded and said, "Good. It won't take long, so be patient." I smiled at her and turned to leave.   
Before I got out the door, I heard her ask, "Did you have to worry about things like this when you were younger?"   
I turned and looked at my granddaughter and said, "Remind me to tell you about when we first met Isis. It is a real adventure." I gave my granddaughter a quick smile and left the room. Now, I had to get JaNa and Radr to agree to me and Hope leaving the base. 

I don't know if luck was on my side when I finally found my daughter. She was in the main room with Radr, and they were talking about Hope. As I entered, I heard JaNa say, "Radr, you can't be serious. To keep Hope locked up like she was a prisoner is just wrong."   
I then heard Radr's cold voice say, "SHE'S TOO MUCH OF A HAZARD TO TOO MANY PEOPLE. SHE HAS TO STAYED LOCKED UP FOR THE SAFETY OF EVERYONE." It was then that I think Radr noticed that I was in the room. "VET, I DID NOT HEAR YOU ENTER."   
I slowly made my way forward and said, "Radr, what is this about Hope being a prisoner?" It made me uneasy, especially after all I had been through in my life. In fact, being a prisoner had almost been most of my life, and I wouldn't wish that on anyone who didn't deserve it.   
I then heard JaNa say, "He says she's too dangerous and needs to be locked up for the sake of everyone. They all think she's dangerous."   
I looked at both of them and said, "She's like a fire right now, and only she can control it. I think I can teach her self-control, so she won't injure anyone again, but I need to take her somewhere where she can't hurt anyone but what should be hurt."   
I could tell that Radr was thinking about what I said, and then said, "I'LL AGREE TO IT, VET. BUT I ONLY REQUEST THAT YOU DON'T RETURN UNTIL SHE LEARNS CONTROL. HOPEFULLY, IT WILL NOT TAKE THAT LONG."   
I nodded and said, "I understand. I know the perfect place to take her to. The same place I went to train." I saw the shock on my daughter's face. She knew where I had disappeared to, and I could see she was not thrill that I was going to take Hope there.   
She looked at me and said, "Mom, are you going crazy? The is no telling how dangerous the Final Dungeon has gotten. Part of it has been converted to a Crystoid maze, while the other part is too dangerous to risk inhabiting."   
I looked my daughter in the eyes and said, "JaNa, I know what needs to be done, and the risks involved. This is not the first time I've done this. Now do you want your daughter to be free, or be imprisonned." I saw the look in my daughter's eyes and I knew her answer.   
Soon, Radr said, "ALRIGHT VET, GET WHAT YOU NEED AND GO. AND PLEASE BE CAREFUL." I nodded and left the room. Hopefully, this would not take long. At least I hoped it wouldn't, because if I failed, neither of us could return. 

****************************** 

It had taken Hope and myself a few days to reach the deeper levels of the Final Dungeon. There were no faces on the walls at this point, but there were far more dangerous creatures here. Creatures more dangerous than any that dared venture forth into our world. When we reached what had been my little safe area, I checked to make sure I still had all the items I had found long ago. I was glad to see the little hide away was still safe, and that the Door I had placed there was still intact. When we looked over the items, I heard Hope say, "Grandmother, what do those items do?"   
I just looked at Hope and said, "Well, they help out in defeating some of the creatures down here. There is an odd thing about these creatures. They never truely die. It may appear to be killed, but it returns later. It's a never ending cycle with them. Defeating them constantly helped me learn some of the self-control I have. I'm hoping it does the same for you."   
Hope looked up at me and said, "How so, Grandmother?"   
I reached for a few of the items, a book, a scroll, an old oil lamp, and a lantern. "Very simple. We are going to fight the creatures that would be most affected by that magic. When I used magic I knew I shouldn't use, I cast a spell on myself to teach me not to use the spell. I'm going to do the same to you."   
Hope had a worried look in her eyes as she said, "What if it doesn't work? I mean, what if I don't learn self control like you did?"   
I couldn't lie to her at that point. I just looked her in the eyes and said, "Then neither of us can go back, and some of these creatures can make the creature I encountered in the Nasty Dungeon look like wimps. Now, for tonight, we will rest, but in the morning, we will venture down the caves, and defeat those four creatures. Remember, do not use the spell." I let Hope lay down in the small safe zone, and then walked over to the entrances to all the caves in the area. I glanced each one over to see if I could tell which one held the creatures I wanted to test Hope with. I knew how to proceed against them, and I knew at what point they could not venture past. I went over to the first cave and noticed how delapidated the walls looked. That was the first cave, and by far the easiest. I went to the next cave, to be greated by heat from obvious lava flows. That cave would wait. The next one was lined with marble. Another that would wait. The fourth cave had a greenish ooze coating the bottom of it, which told me that one would also wait. When I checked the fifth, just from the entrance I knew it would wait. Nothing but spider webs. I knew the spell I wanted Hope not to use affect males, and the creature in there was definately female. The next two were coated with sand and ice. I knew the creatures down there were the ones I was looking for. The last cave entered into an odd chamber. One could not make heads nor tails of it. I then returned back to Hope. I was glad to see she was asleep, but I knew that if she failed to learn self-control, she would spend the rest of her nights here. I then cast the spell on her that I had cast on myself. Now all we had to do was wait until morning. 

****************************** 

I had been up most of the night, watching the caves. My last time here, I had done the same thing, but this time had felt different. Something just didn't seem right with one of them, but I could figure out what it was. As I watched the caves for a sign that something wasn't right, I heard Hope say, "Is it morning yet?"   
I looked over at my granddaughter and said, "Yes, I do believe it is." I glanced back at the caves and start to wonder if it was my imagination. I then stood up and said, "Let's go, Hope. You need to learn how to control your powers. Now, we will start with an easy foe." I lead her into the cave that looked like an old crypt. As we ventured farther in, I handed Hope the book and said, "Use this first, then use what ever magic you can, without using the spell that I told you not to use."   
As we neared the main chamber holding the creature, I heard Hope ask, "Grandmother, how dangerous is this thing?"   
When I saw the form lying on the ground of the next chamber, I stopped Hope and said, "There it is. It is called Lich. This book will severely weaken it, but it is also vulnerable to Light Magic."   
I watched as Hope nodded and said, "Don't worry, I have plently of light type spells, and some light based magic attacks. He shouldn't cause much problems." I watched as hope entered the room, and the Lich started to stand up. Almost instantly, the book did what it was supposed to do. It weakend the creature, and Hope took the openning to start her attacks. I watched patiently as she moved around the creature, keeping clear of it's attacks. Then it happened. I watched as a hand came from the floor and grabbed Hope. Before I could charge in, I hear Hope chanting the spell I didn't want her to use. I saw the hand let go and the Lich double over in pain. I used a teleport spell on Hope and soon she was by me and I pulled her out of the cave. When I heard the explotion, I knew what had happened. It was only verified when Hope doubled over in pain. She just cried, "What's happening to me, Grandmother?"   
I just looked at her and said, "It's a constriction spell, Hope. It's how I learned to control using the Nuke spell, and how you will learn how not to use that spell." I saw her nod and slowly, I watch the pain leave her. I then said, "The more you use the spell, the worse that pain will get. Now, we have 3 more battles today, and I want you not to use that spell."   
I watched as she nodded and said, "I promise not to use the spell." We then headed down the second of the four passages. On our way there, I heard strange sounds coming from the cave that had all the ooze around it. I started to wonder if we would have time to do all the tests I had picked for today. When we neared the final part of the cave, I noticed that the being was not to be seen. We stood at the door, and Hope said, "Grandmother, where is the creature?"   
I was almost startled when it finally appeared and said, "Here I am. I've been waiting a long time for you to return."   
I looked at Hope and said, "Use the lamp now." She did and soon the Genie was surrounded by black smoke. I then said, "Run around him, blasting him with whatever you can." I knew the range of his attacks, and stayed toward the back of the room.   
As she ran and blasted the Genie with magical attacks, I heard the thing growl. "This barracade won't last forever, and the second I can see, both of you will be in my harem." The monster had been alone way to long. Soon, that barricade did drop, and the Genie's eye was fixed on me. He then said, "There you are. Time to join your master."   
I watched in horror as it started to reach for me. I started to wish that Hope would use the forbidden magic. Soon, I saw the Genie freeze as Ice formed around it. Then I heard hope shout, "You leave my grandmother alone." Soon the ice was a flame, and it shattered, with the Genie still inside of it. The Genie was no more. I looked over at Hope and she smiled saying, "I did it. I was about to use that wrong spell on him, and I stopped myself. I think I have self-control."   
I took Hope's hand and said, "You did very good. I think we can head home now." Then I heard it. A loud mechanical sound. I lead Hope out of the cave, and was almost scared by what I saw. The cave that had the ooze on the walls, was now coated in metal and crystal. The Crystoids were in that cave, but why? I went over to the base camp and grabbed everything, and said to Hope. "Something is not right. I hate to say this, but we need to find out what is going on down there."   
I watched as Hope nodded and then ask, "Grandmother, if the Crystoids are down there, would that mean one of the horsemen is down there as well."   
I nodded and said, "Yes, and I can only think of one horseman who could be there." When we finally reached a point to look into the lair, I saw my fears were confirmed. Down there was the Plague Fiend, and the horseman know as Plague. On Plague was a glowing ruin stone, and it looked like the two were conversing. I didn't want to know what they were talking about, but I was determined to end the conversation. I looked at Hope and said, "When I give you the sign, I want you to start casting Cure and Purify spells at both of the Plague entities. I will cast Regen and a full Cure spell on both of them." I moved closer and glanced around. I heard Crystoids, but I could not see them. I then held up the Javelin, and it flew right into its mark.   
I heard the Fiend yowl in pain as it was blinded and the horseman looked in my direction. "You again. This time I shall kill you." Then it started to yowl in pain as Hope's Cure spells started effecting it.   
I just smiled and cast the powerful Cure spells I knew and said, "No you won't. I'll kill you, Plague." With that, the horrid creature melted, and the runestone it had flew away. I then saw four Crystoids enter the chamber. From what I was told, they were the one's that prepared things with the liquids the Crystoids needed to merge the crystals with machinery. I ran over to Hope as they started to come towards us and said, "Hope, use your spell. It won't kill them, but it will detain them." At least, part of me hoped that.   
I noticed the scared look on Hope's face and she just said, "What about escape?"   
I set the door up and started to open it. "Just do it, I'll drag you out." I knew she might not be able to move, but we had to get out of there. I watched and listened as Hope chanted the spell, and the Crystoids just fell over. I was almost in awe as the ooze burst from tubes in there arms, legs, and even oozed out their mouths. I then remember what was happening to Hope. The spell I placed on her was still in affect. I grabbed her and pulled her through the door and back into the Guardian control room.   
When I finally closed the door, I heard Radr say, "IS SHE IN CONTROL NOW?"   
I looked up at Radr and said, "Yes, but she had to use the spell one last time, or else we would have been captured by Crystoids." I heard a gasp, and turned to see my daughter standing there. I then said, "And thanks to her and myself, we have one less horseman to worry about." With that, I helped Hope up and lead her back to her room to rest.   
As we walked out, I heard JaNa come up behind me and said, "Thank you, mother. I shall inform Max and I know he'll stop at the base. He's been trying to find something to help us defeat War." I saw the look in her eyes. Her whole family was soon to be together. I just hoped it wouldn't be the last time. 

Case Cured? 


	38. Sibling Rivalry

Sibling Rivalry   
A Story And Addendum For Memoirs Of The Heroes. (Previously "Memoirs Of An Adventure's Child."))   
(All Characters Are Ficticious And bare no resemblence to living people. Any resemblence to fictional characters is only by chance. Special Thanks to Howard Phillips Lovecraft)   
===================================================== 

I knew it was risky staying at my old stronghold, but I also knew that my daughter still hadn't controlled her new powers yet. Until she could control her powers, I could not return to the Guardian Base. Besides, I had to search the old books I had at my fortress. Long ago, I had read in one of the books about a legend detailing the four Horsemen. When I had found the right book, I looked through it with incredable intent. I needed to find something that would help us stop the darkness. It was then I found it, the legend of the Horsemen. I then started to read it aloud. "When the horsemen arrive, they will be given magical Runestones. These Runestones will have two purposes. One will be to make the dark forces stronger, but also to be charged full of dark energy. Once the runestones are charged, the Horsemen can be safely destoried so the gateway could be formed." Right then, I thought about what they had said happened to Lena. She was called Portal by the Crystoids. I read the book some more and read something I truely feared. "Once the last horseman is destroied, and the power source assembled, the dark portal will open." It was a doomsday legend, and it meant the doomsday, Sherp, was fast approaching. I then noticed another passage, and it brought hope to my mind. "It is said that if the Horsemen are destroied before the source is assembled and the gateway is prepared with seven gems, the runestones will be destroied, and the evil stopped." I put the book in a parcel, so I could send it to the base, and said, "We have a chance now."   
I was almost startled to hear someone behind me say, "A chance at what?" I turned to see one of the other Guardians, holding a note in his hand. He looked at me and said, "It's from JaNa. She says that Hope can control her powers."   
I nodded and said, "That is terrific. I'll be along in a moment. Take this book to Radr. It contains vital info."   
It was then I heard one of the Guardians that had been stationed at my fortress shouted. "The Crystoids are attack. They've discovered us."   
I quickly donned my mask and said, "Give the messenger cover. He needs to get back. Once he is clear, we fight our way out of here." I watched as the messenger ran out and headed out into the desert. Only the guardians knew how to get to the path in the sand, which led underground. As he ran out of sight, I looked out at the oncoming Crystoids and said to others. "Alright people, it's do or die time. If we fail, we might be failing our only chance at winning." I watched as my followers headed into battle. We were fighting a great evil, and we needed a win. As the battle started, I noticed various projectile weapons flying our way, and none of the Crystoids were giving chase after the messenger. Then I remembed one thing Radr had said. The seventh crystal was my mask. They were after me. Just when I realized that, I felt something hit my head, and everything went dark. 

********************************************* 

When I came to, I was greeted to the feel of cold metal. The only thing I could think of was that I was in the Crystoid home world. The only thing running in my favor was that they hadn't absorbed me into their group. I then felt an arm yank me up and said, "Up, humanoid. You have something for Portal." I looked over at the figure the Crystoid mentioned and saw it was Lena, but her hands and legs were connected to metal rods, but two of the runestones were at the ends of two of the rods.   
I watched as the Queen Crystoid walked over and took my mask. She smiled and said, "Our great Portal thanks you for keeping the last crystal safe. She knew you could do it." I noticed that my sister's face was somewhat blank. As the Queen took the mask over and placed it on Lena's face. She turned and said, "Now, we can absorb this human into our collective. He will help us attain our goal."   
As I was picked up, I just shouted. "You won't succeed. We know what you're up to, and we will stop you." I also looked at Lena. Part of me was about to shout to her, asking her to break free.   
That's when I was shocked. Lena just said, "Leave us alone. I must talk with him. He will not hurt me." I watched as all the Crystoids left, except the Queen. Then Lena said, "I said alone. Leave, or else." For a moment, the Queen shuddered and ran out. Soon we were alone, and Lena said, "Max, I'm so glad you are here. I don't know how, but I still have some free thought. I know what they have planned for me, and it's terrible."   
I looked up at my sister and said, "I know what they have planned. I can only think of two ways to end it. One is mentioned in a book I read, but the other I just happened to think about." It was true. The only other solution would be to kill my own sister. She was to be their portal.   
My sister looked at me and shook her head. "Max, there is only one way. You can't kill me. You don't know what they did to me. You remember our father telling us about the Time Bomb."   
I thought back to the stories our father told us as kids, and then started to remember the tales of the device. It was a doomsday device, constructed by the Ancients. I then looked at Lena and said, "You don't mean that they..." I watched as she nodded. I realized I couldn't even try to kill her. It would kill everyone. I then said, "They made it so you can't be killed. No one knows how to stop that thing."   
She nodded and said, "That's why you have to get the guardians up here to destroy Death and then the Queen. She's the last part of the energy source, and if you destory Death before you destroy her, you may save us all."   
I looked at her and said, "Death is up here, why is he up here?"   
She closed her eyes and said, "He's powered up his runestone, and when his two other Horsemen fell, the Queen told him to stay up here. I think she has made plans to terminate herself, so you must keep her alive before you kill Death."   
Now I understood. The Crystoids were planning something, but not even Lena knew everything about it. It was as if they didn't share all there info with her on purpose. The only thing we could do was destroy War, and then come up here and destroy Death. I looked at her and said, "Lena, can you get me out of here?"   
I watched as a door openned and Lena said, "Not all the Crystoids know every detail of the structure. Down this secret hall is a teleporter. I'll set it for your fortress. You have very little time to escape. Go now." I nodded and ran down the hall. When I noticed the door was closing, I heard Lena say, "Attention. The prisoner is escaping." She had to say that. If she didn't, it would appear like she betrayed them.   
When I finally found the teleporter, I heard footsteps nearby. There must have been a door nearby. I quickly activated the teleporter, and soon, I was back at my base. I started to run into the desert and finally to the path. When I finally entered the path, I looked back and said, "I hope you are right, Lena. We all need for you to be right."   
As I made my way down into the base through the secret path, I heard Radr say, "MAX, WHAT HAPPENED TO YOU? YOU HAD DISAPPEARED."   
I just continued running down and said, "I'll tell you when I get there, but everything just got trickier." Now we had to figure out our best course of action to stop the Crystoids. 

Countdown has begun...3 


	39. Call For Peace

Call For Peace   
A Story And Addendum For Memoirs Of The Heroes. (Previously "Memoirs Of An Adventure's Child."))   
(All Characters Are Ficticious And bare no resemblence to living people. Any resemblence to fictional characters is only by chance. Special Thanks to Howard Phillips Lovecraft)   
===================================================== 

As I sat at the meeting, I had heard that my son, Max, had found out some interesting facts about the Crystoids. What he had told us was that there was a way to stop them, and that Lena was still of her own mind. I was almost lost on that thought when I heard Radr say, "SO YOU ARE SAYING THAT WE HAVE A WEAKNESS TO THE CRYSTOIDS?"   
I watched as Max said, "Yes, they can't have all the horsemen destroied if their leader is still alive. That is why they are only sending War out."   
I then heard Vet say, "That makes the task more difficult, but not impossible. Anyone War doesn't kill turns into a blood crazed creature. He is the riskiest of all the horsemen to near by far."   
I then said, "True, but he's the only horseman that the Crystoids are allowing past their normal realm. And with his might and power, there might be only one place where they would have him."   
I watched Vet look at me and say, "Li, are you saying that they would station War at the location of their master transporter. Where I used to call home." When I nodded, Vet just looked around and said, "It makes sense. It is the most important of all their land based locations."   
I then heard Radr say, "SO ARE YOU SUGGESTING WE MAKE AN ATTACK ON THIS BASE?"   
I nodded and said, "It would be best. Besides, one of our hidden posts is right near the location. We can ambush them before they know what happens." To me, it was a sound plan.   
My son nodded and said, "My mother is right. Besides, our surveilence has shown that the Crystoids don't have many guards there. We can defeat them, and destroy the horseman with them."   
I then heard Vet say, "True, but then we have to head to the home of the Crystoids themselves. It will take many of of the Guardians, and we must not fail."   
I looked at everyone and said, "I have a strong feeling that we won't fail. If Isis' spirit is watching us, she will not let us fail." I knew it was possible for us to fail, but we were too strong in our beliefs to fail.   
I, as well as everyone, watched as Radr thought. Soon enough, Radr finally made his decision. "WE HAVE A COURSE OF ACTION, AND WE HAVE BEEN ON THE DEFENSIVE LONG ENOUGH. IT'S TIME WE FOUGHT BACK. IN THE MORNING, WE ASSEMBLE FOR THE STRIKE. IF THINGS GO WELL, BY THE END OF THE DAY, WE WILL DESTORY THE CRYSTOIDS." Those word brought hope to us all. Soon, we would bring an end to this darkness that had befallen our world. 

********************************* 

It had been a long night, and I had been restless for most of the night. It was early in the morning when I awoke, and I needed to think. Today could be the last day of my life. In a way, if I died, I would no longer have to worry about what was happening, and I'd be with my husband again. However, there was a downside, and that was if the Crystoids succeeded, even the dead would not be safe. I was almost lost in that thought when I heard the door to my room open. There, at the door, was Vet, Hope, JaNa, Max, and the Captain. When I saw him, he just said, "Worried about what will happen?" When I nodded, he said, "I understand. Years ago, I risked my own life to save Rich's. Now, we are risking ours in hopes that future generations can be born."   
I nodded and said, "I know. Hope was the last child to be born to anyone. Now we must give her a future to look forward to." I saw a tear run down Hope's cheek. She was well aware of what had to be done.   
JaNa looked at me and said, "We need to end this horror, and I have a feeling with Hope helping us, the horror will end."   
I nodded. My granddaughter was the symbol of hope. I just smiled and said, "True, but I don't think her magic will be able to stop War." It was the truth. I didn't think the power she had could destroy War.   
I then heard Vet say, "I have an idea on that. I know a powerful Calm spell. The only bad thing is, after I use it, I can't cast it again for days."   
This had me worried. I looked at Vet and said, "Are you saying that if we get struck by War, we can't be saved."   
I almost flipped out when Vet nodded, but then she said, "From what has been observed, what happens to the victims of War's strike is like an unknown disease. Some people tried Cure spells, but failed."   
I sighed and said, "Ok, maybe we should get going, but if anyone gets struck, kill them." It was an order I could tell no one was comfortable with. I looked over all the people in the room and said, "Does anyone have a better idea?"   
I heard Max say, "Well, we don't know if the problem will end when War dies. Plus, if it doesn't, we may be able to cure it after some time."   
I then heard Hope say, "We did think that maybe we could put the victims into suspended animation. That way, when we succeed, we can work on curing them." I had to admire Hope's optimism. However, I felt that if I was to be struck down, I'd want to go to my husband.   
As we headed up to the surface, I just held Vet back for a moment and said, "Vet, when the time comes, please kill me. If I'm infected, I want to join Rich."   
I heard her whisper into my ear, "I'll do my best to carry out your wishes, Li." It gave me some comfort. It was about the only thing that would make me feel comfortable as we headed up on our mission.   
As we approached the blind, I heard Max say, "Our scouts have told us that the site is almost empty. All we have to do is get in, secure the base, and defeat War when he arrives." The way my son described it, it sounded easy.   
I just said, "Max, I hope you are right. The Crystoids might be expecting us to try something." When we finally all got to the blind, I looked out to see that the scout had been right. I could only see a few Crystoids, but I could also hear the hoofbeats of War's horse.   
Soon I heard Captain say, "Alright, let's stop the Crystoids, and do it in the name of Isis." I heard some of the soldiers cheer, and rush out of the blind. I then heard the Captain say, "Vet, the second War is close enough, blast him with that Calm spell."   
I watched as Vet nodded, and then he headed out. Vet turned to me and said, "Don't worry, I'll do my best to keep my word to you. Now let's go." I followed her out into the battle, and it did look like it was going well. Even Hope was doing a good job, using her magic to stop some of the Crystoids.   
It was then I saw it. War was coming up behind her fast, and had his sword out. He was going to kill my granddaughter. I quickly ran out into the battle, jumped and pushed Hope away, shouting, "Hope, look out!" I was in time to save Hope, but I felt War's sword go into my shoulder. I felt it go in, and felt him pull it out. The pain was unbearable, and I collapsed to the ground.   
I held my shoulder, and prayed that the beast would kill me. Then I heard the Captain yell, "Now Vet, before it's too late." I then noticed Vet was making the motions of casting a spell. She was casting the Calm spell. War realized what was happening when it was too late. He started to convulse and then exploded, sending the rune stone on it's armor skyward.   
As the rune disappeard, I heard Max run over and say, "Someone, put her in suspended animation."   
I just looked at Vet. She knew my request. I watched as she put her hand on Max and said, "No, Max. She wants to leave. It's her time." I could see how crestfallen he was.   
I looked up at my boy and said, "Max, rescue your sister. She needs you to help her. She needs you to save her." If they survived this ordeal, I knew I would see them again. I felt the Captain at my side and lift me up. "I take it we secured the base." I could already start to feel the rage build in me. I didn't have much time.   
Captain just looked at me and said, "Yes. The troops are getting ready to head to the home of the Crystoids. In a few hours, it will be over."   
I then saw Vet head over and hand me something. "Li, use this once we all leave. It will destroy the base and you. It's what you want." I then looked at it. It was a Hyperbomb.   
I nodded and said, "You better get going. You don't have much time." I watched as all the troops headed to the transporter. Soon, there was a hum and they were all gone. I looked at the Hyperbomb and said, "It's just you and me. Time to end this game." I pushed a button on it and waited.   
After a short while, I looked at the device and noticed that it had not gone off. In fact, the timer hadn't moved once. I looked over the Hyperbomb, looking for a manual override. I needed to use it. When I found the button, I start to press it. Just then, I felt a blast hit my back, causing me to drop the Hyperbomb as I fell. When I got over the initial blast, I looked in the direction it came from. It was Sharm, the Crystoid that helped is save Vet. He looked down at me and then pushed a button on his arm. "My queen, everything happened like you planned. They have no clue on what will happen. The lone one down here will not be a threat." I watched as Sharm headed into the transporter.   
When he disappeared, I felt darkness start to sweep over me. I couldn't think straight, but I felt a rage burning in me. As I lost consciousness, I let the last words pass my lips, "Evil Crystoids. You .....plannned....... this." 

Countdown.....2 


	40. Vie Mort, Mort Vie

Vie Mort, Mort Vie   
A Story And Addendum For Memoirs Of The Heroes. (Previously "Memoirs Of An Adventure's Child."))   
(All Characters Are Ficticious And bare no resemblence to living people. Any resemblence to fictional characters is only by chance. Special Thanks to Howard Phillips Lovecraft)   
===================================================== 

This was it. We had started the final battle, and even I hoped it would end the way we hoped it would. I had lost too many people I cared about in my lifetime. I lost my husband, my friends, my mother, and even my son. Although my son was the second incarnation of Shoac, I had still loved him. All these thoughts were running through my head as we facing the Crystoids, but it didn't distract me from the fight. If anything, it helped fuel my battle. Every Crystoid I stopped, I did in the name of the people I had lost. Soon enough, we had finally reached the door to the main chamber. Before we entered, I heard Captain say, "Already everyone, this is it. Vet, are you ready to defeat Death?"   
I nodded and said, "I have the perfect spell ready. One that will destroy him instantly. We just have to keep the queen Crystoid alive until after the runestones lose their power."   
I saw most of the others nod. They were not happy about it, but it was necessary. I then heard Max say, "I'll tackle the Queen. I want all of the rest of you to stop all the other Crystoids. I want the marksmen to take care of snipers. Any of you who can fly, follow JaNa's lead. She will lead the defense in the air." I watched my daughter nod. She had her wings out, and was ready for battle. I also noticed, for the first time, that some of the Guardians had jet packs.   
I then head JaNa say, "Our job is to stop any flying Crystoids. We are to keep the Crystoids back, and not let them kill the Queen." We knew what would happen if the Queen of the Crystoids were to die before power of the runestones disappated.   
I then head Hope say, "Is there anything I can do? I do have my abilities." I knew it would be a risk for her to use her magic, but I also knew she had learned to control it.   
I watched as the Captain said, "I think so. If any of the preparer Crystoids come out, use your magic on them. The Crystoids will try and save them. It is those Crystoids that are most valuable next to the Queen."   
I watched my granddaughter nod and say, "I understand. I'll have those things in more trouble than they wished they could cause."   
I then walked up to the doors and said, "Ok, We need to enter and stop the Crystoids." I saw everyone nod and I pushed the doors open. We then entered the main chamber. It appeared to be bigger than the whole realm of the Crystoids. In the back of the room, I saw Lena fastened to a wall. Slightly in front of her was the makings of a doorframe, and in three corners were three of the runestones.   
Standing in front of the structure was the Queen herself, and Death. Soon the Queen said, "It's about time. Soon, the gate to our mistress will be open, and her minions will enter this world."   
I then heard Max yell, "This is the end, and you will not succeed." It was then that Max began the battle. As was expected, the Queen was trying to get herself killed, but Max made sure his attacks were not lethal.   
As the battle ensued, I saw Crystoids start to join in the battle. It was evident that they planned for the Queen to die. I almost didn't see Death go to stab me with his sickle, as he said in his whispy voice. "It is time for you to join the ranks of the dead."   
I quickly launched a force bolt at Death and said, "Now is not my time to die." As he flew back, he knocked two Crystoids that JaNa and her group were fighting out of the air.   
As Death was temporarily dazed, I heard another Crystoid say, "Must save the life-giving liquid." I saw that Hope had cast her spell on a dozen of the preparer Crystoids. The rest were now distracted on trying to stop us, trying to help in the termination of the Queen, and to save their precious liquid.   
I then head the Queen shout, "Don't worry about that. Make sure that I die." Soon, I saw some of the Crystoids start heading back to the fight between Max and the Queen."   
I would have watched more, but I noticed that Death was starting to head towards me. I heard him say, "You shall pay for that. I shall make your death long and painful. I'll make you a mummy before I kill you."   
I faced my advesary and said, "I doubt that. I have the one spell that can stop you." At that point, I casted the Life spell at Death. It was the one thing that could destroy the last Horseman.   
As I watched, his skeletal face almost more a look of pain. As the Life spell started to bring him to Life, I heard him say, "My part has been fulfilled. I have served my purpose." Soon, Death exploded, and the runestone flew to it's corner.   
When the stone started to fly, I heard Max shout, "How did that happend?" I looked to see the Queen laying on the floor. She appeared to be dead.   
I heard Captain say, "I thought I told you she was not to die."   
Max then said, "I didn't kill her. She just collapsed. There is no mark on her." Indeed, I could see there wasn't a mark on her body. It was a bad sign.   
Soon, it got worse as I head a voice of pure evil say, "At last, my true purpose has been realized. Now Shub can enter this world and claim it." It was Shoac. He had been reformed.   
As the gateway glowed to life, I saw sparks fly from Lena. The portal was now opening. I looked over at Captain and shouted, "How can this be happening? We didn't kill the Queen."   
The answer came from a source I did not expect. "It is because before you arrived, the Queen was killed. I was controling her body from afar." I turned to see Sharm standing behind me. "This was planned out long in advance. Our plan was put in motion the moment you were possessed."   
It was then I realized the extend of the damage, and the extent of the plan. I turned and looked at Sharm. He had only helped them save me because it was part of their master plan. Sharm hadn't destroyed KLar and St. Marius. He preserved them. What had happened to Lena was planned to. I looked at Sharm and said, "How long has this been planned?"   
Sharm only smiled and said, "Since my wife and I manipulated things from our masters palace back in the Mana Net. She was the one who initially contacted Shub for all the power. We manipulated our leaders in the great war among the Ancients. We made them think they were getting the gift of ultimate power. What they got was used but the very people they thought they were manipulating. Now the dark forces will do what they had long set to do. You had no clue that we were all ready. We had stolen the Time Bomb, and insured our victory. Now, you will be consumed by the Darkness."   
I turned toward the gate and saw some creatures making their way through the gate. They were hideous. Some looked like the things I saw in the Nasty Dungeon, but others were worse. Some flew, and jumped, and far in the back, slowly approaching was the evil one herself. I just quietly said to myself, "What have we done?"   
I was briefly distracted when I heard a scream come from Max. At first, I thought it had been on of those creatures that had attacked him. When I finally saw what had attacked him, I froze in horror. The form was all to familiar to me. I heard Max gasp, "No, not you," before he collapsed.   
As I looked at the form, I could see the claws on it's hand, the crazed look in its eyes, and what looked like blood coming from its mouth. I then heard Sharm say, "I couldn't let her miss the big moment." The madman had prevented Li's death. I just watched in horror as Li started to run at me. 

Countdown.....1 


	41. Yesterday's Gone

Yesterday's Gone   
A Story And Addendum For Memoirs Of The Heroes. (Previously "Memoirs Of An Adventure's Child.")   
(All Characters Are Ficticious And bare no resemblence to living people. Any resemblence to fictional characters is only by chance. Special Thanks to Howard Phillips Lovecraft)   
===================================================== 

When I felt the spark of energy go through me, I knew what was happening. The Crystoids had fooled me. I thought that I had warned my friends and family. They gave me a little free will, and knew I would warn the Guardians. I could see everyone in front of me, and a red haze in front of me as well. It was then I saw it. Creatures appearing out of the haze. I recognized one from when I first got the Eye. The attack had taken a turn for the worse. I then saw an awful sight. My mother, deformed by War's infection, had turned into a monster. One with no remorse, one that would only kill. I had only saw it strike down my brother, and now it was focused on Vet. As my mother leapt at Vet, I noticed a Fiend do the same. I just shouted, "Vet, duck."   
I watched as she ducked and my mother collided with the beast, sending the two across the room. I then heard Vet shout to JaNa, "Look out, daughter." I then saw that two of the flying creatures were advancing on her. I watched as JaNa turned, but just as she turned, one of the Guardians with a jetpack hit the first creature. I was overjoyed, until the second creature hit his jetpack, causing him to fly out of control toward me.   
I heard JaNa shout, "Someone save him," but it was too late. He disappeared into the haze. He was in the clutches of the evil one.   
I saw my grandfather, the Captain of the Guardians, kneel over Max. He was dying, and he may not get the chance to rejoin my father. This was all my fault. I heard my grandfather say, "This shouldn't be. They manipulated us to help them." He was right. They had manipulated this, everything from the start.   
It was then I remembered one thing. I still had some free will. They had only wanted to subdue it, but I had been too strong willed. They kept trying to subdue me enough to make me follow them, but it would not be enough. I just looked out and shouted, "This must end now."   
I noticed that everything looked at me, and I saw a look of fear cross Sharm's face. I heard him shout. "NO! She can't still have free will. We subdued it after we let her speak to the boy." I knew what he was afraid of, and I knew he couldn't stop me.   
I looked at everyone and said, "In a matter of moments, this will have ended. It will never have happened, but it will have happened." I then followed my circuits to the very device I had in me. "I shall miss you all, Vet, JaNa, grandfather, and all that I had hoped to save." I then activated the Time Bomb.   
Before the countdown began, I saw all the creatures that entered through the gate start to head back to it. Even the Crystoids started heading for the gate. They knew that once the bomb was activated, there was no stopping it. I then head Sharm say, "She has to be bluffing. She couldn't have enough free will to do that. We pumped enough of the subduing liquid into her that her will should have melted." I think that was why so many of the Crystoids craved the goop. They were freaks, and didn't want to remember their lives before.   
Soon, I heard a strange voice say, "Five. Now beginning Temporal Freeze. No beings will be allowed to move." I watched as everyone around me froze in place. I glanced at Vet and noticed that she was smiling. She knew that my action would give her peace.   
I looked down at her and said, "I hope you have a nice afterlife, Vet. I shall miss you, and the rest of my family." I felt a tear start to run down my face. This was the end. I knew I wouldn't survive it, but I knew that my fate was also sealed.   
I heard the voice again. This time, it said, "Four. Termination of all power. All robots will cease to function. All immortal machines will have consciousness released." I wondered what that meant.   
Then I realized it when the sight in front of me lost it's red haze. I looked over at Sharm and said, "Didn't expect that, did you? You thought I wouldn't be able to use the Time Bomb. I hope you enjoy what you become." I figured that his consciousness would turn into something insignificant.   
The voice spoke again. "Three. All magic will disappear. All immortal magical entities shall have consciousness released. All mortal creatures will depart to the realm of the dead." I watch as the creatures that had come from the gate exploded. I heard the runestones fizzle out. I saw that some of the Guardian's exploded, and their spirits flew out of the place.   
As I watched I said, "May you all find your eternal peace." It was true. I had hoped they would find their loved ones. I then noticed that the crystoids gems went dark. I looked down and saw the same happen to all the gems on me. All I felt was my heart beat. I started to wonder why the bomb still worked, but realized it was immune to its own affects.   
Soon, I heard the voice speak again. "Two. All mortal life will die. Immortals shal have their consciouness's maintained." I watched as everyone fell dead at that point. I saw their spirits leave their bodies and begin to fly off.   
I was almost in awe as Vet's spirit flew up to me and said, "Thank you, Lena. You have saved us all from a fate worse than death." It brought me some comfort. I saw that my mother's spirit had not moved. Then I realized that it had been enslaved by War. There would be no rest for her. She would suffer the same fate as I would. I didn't even know what my fate would be. All I knew was that the Time Bomb would explode, and I with it. Sure, my consciouness would continue, but what would it enter. What would the new timeline be like. I hoped that I would be allowed to care again.   
The voice spoke again. "All dead accounted for. Now sealing off the realm of the dead. One. Beginning Temporal Displacement of Immortals." I watched as every sphere keeping everything frozen in time started to glow. It was preparing to take us all back. Soon, I started to see things change. The room I had been in started to get smaller, and lose its walls. We were going backwards through time. I started to think about all that had happened in my life. I had been cursed to have bad luck. I had been turned into a Crystoid. I had tried to stop them with what little free will I had, but I failed. Now, I would never see my family again, even though I had saved them. True, in the course of saving them, I had to destroy everything everyone held dear to them. I looked at the our side world, and saw the space around us. I looked down at the Celestrial world, and it was shrinking. Even the Celestrial Palace was almost gone. I saw the Mana Net in much more detail. It was being unwoven as I went back in time. Worlds floated on their own, governed by their own forces. I saw our world in the time before the Ancients. How much time had passed. I could not be sure.   
Soon, I saw two large figures around me. I knew who they were. I looked up at them, in their swordfight. "So this is it. This was when they killed each other. This is the point where the world will change." I was scared, but I knew it was time.   
I noticed that the figures looked down at me, a little in surprise. Then I heard the voice say, "Point reached. Detonation to commense." Then I felt it. The explosion ripped through me. I could feel the pain, and then nothing. I could sense the heat from the explosion, and I saw both Redor and Shoac destoried. Their huge bodies breaking up into small units of positive and negative energy. The heat was unbearable, and the force of the explosion pushed my consciousness away from the center. I drifted into unconsciousness, and hoped I had done the right thing. 

.....Time never ends, time never starts, time has always been and always will be.   



	42. Every New Beginning

Every New Beginning   
A Story And Addendum For Memoirs Of The Heroes. (Previously "Memoirs Of An Adventure's Child."))   
(All Characters Are Ficticious And bare no resemblence to living people. Any resemblence to fictional characters is only by chance. Special Thanks to Howard Phillips Lovecraft)   
===================================================== 

I remember the explosion. It was hard not to remember it. I remembered the intense heat, and I saw the positive and negative forces coupling together. The events were engraved into my mind. Now a new world was born. I could see many of the new particles merging. It was as though I could see them, and not see them at the same time. What was happening was a new beginning. The world was recreating itself. I looked at some things and wonder what would happen if I tweeked some variables. I don't know what I had done, but it must have done something. I don't know how much time passed as I watched, but huge balls of gas started to form. As I looked around, I could see some as tiny lights, almost like the stars I had seen a lifetime ago. Were they alive? I looked out and said, "Is there anyone out there?"   
I was startled when I heard a female voice say, "Radr, is that you? You're voice sounds alive."   
I focused on where the voice was, and to my surprise, I found the source to be a yellow star. The voice had even sounded familiar to me. I focused on the source and said, "Lena, is that you?"   
I heard her voice say, "Yes, Radr. I can hear you, but I don't see you. All I see is this cloud around me. It looks thicker in some parts." I looked at the cloud around her, and she was right. I could see some distinct areas increasing in size.   
I then said, "Lena, it looks like you are a star. Maybe this is some sort of reward for you act." If she was smiling, I could not tell. I then watched as the clouds started to become more solid. They were forming into spheres of rock. Then, on one, I noticed that life was starting to form. I said, "Lena, it looks like you won't be alone. There is life on this one rock."   
I heard Lena say, "I wonder what they will be like. It's like I'm taking care of a big family. Something I didn't get to do in life." I watched as the world evolved. I heard Lena say, "They look like monsters. Almost like snakes and lizards." She was right. Nothing but giant lizards roamed the rock.   
That soon changed as another rock colided with the planet. Almost all the life was devistated. I heard laughter from far away, and heard the voice of Sharm say, "You don't deserve to care for life. You ruined the plan." I focused on the source of his voice, and soon, I was facing a large mass of gases, and at the center was a black spot. Everything was flowing to that spot. I heard Sharm say, "And you, Guardian, you think she's safe and that you are safe, but the others like me will prevail. We are the ultimate power, nothing can escape us. Plus, our leader is coming. You can't stop her now. She will be hear, and take over this dimension."   
I focused back on Lena with that terrible thought in my mind. Lena hadn't stopped it, just delayed it. Now we had to warn whatever life would evolve in this world. I saw the planet now had civilations forming on it. I had to wonder how they would see my presence as. I turned my attention back to Lena and said, "Lena, I fear that the evil one may be trying to take over this dimension."   
I was surprised when Lena said, "I know. Look. The one empire is burning and it's leader doesn't care." I looked at the planet and saw what she meant. I then saw one of the evil creatures in the shadows. Already, the evil was starting. Now I had to make my presence known. I watched as empire after empire rised and fell. I started warning people in each empire. It was devistating.   
Soon, I saw buildings reach into the sky. Vehicles flying in the air, and travelling the waters of the planet. People were almost everywhere. The world had taken form. I tried to convince a man of the horror to come. People read what he wrote, but thought it as fiction, including the man who wrote it. Then I noticed it. In a small corner of the world, a man was typing up the history of my timeline. I turned to Lena and said, "Lena, do you see this? This boy is writing our past."   
In Lena's voice, I heard her say, "I see it. However, I feel it might not be enough. Look, the evil has done something terrible."   
I turned and looked at the planet. In a big city, I saw two of the flying machines crash into two tall building. It was horrible. Soon, the buildings collapsed. Many people were gone. I couldn't believe it. All those lives lost in an instant. It was devistating. I wondered what that boy had thought. I focused on him, and saw that the events had hit him hard. I started to follow his life. I saw what he wrote. It was my history, my life. He wrote of other lives. He would understand. I saw what he was writing now, and it was surprising. I decided I need to say something. I looked at him and said, "So that's my history." I watched as he looked around, puzzled. I then said, "Don't worry, I'm no threat to you."   
He looked in the air and said, "Who are you?" He was clearly puzzled. He didn't know what I was, yet he was writing about me.   
I just said, "My name is Radr. I'm in the stories you have writen. They are my past, and in a way, your past. You must warn this world that a great evil is coming. They don't have much time."   
I then saw that he had stopped. He then said, "Don't you hear it. There is hoofbeats way in the distance." I listened, and then I heard it. I focused on the source of the noise. He was right, there were hoofbeats. The horsemen were riding again, but it would take them years to reach his world.   
I returned to the boy and said, "You are right." However, he wasn't in the room anymore. He had, however, anticipated my answer. I don't know where he was. If he knew that he had time left, I didn't know. All I knew I could tell him would be that it would take millenia for the horsemen to arrive. I then saw the last words on the page he was typing. 

As long as there is time, there is hope for things to be better. 


End file.
